Great Minds Think Alike
by BlindAvion55
Summary: May forgets her times when she was captured and experimented with. But when an old familiar face reactivates her memories and powers, May must learn how to deal with her powers, an old enemy, and the stresses of high school. Rewritten - Not Completed
1. Chapter 1

**Revision of my original story. ****I hope my writing is better**** after a very long hiatus.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon  
**

* * *

**Chapter 1  
**

**January 26th**

A faint beep emanated from a small intercom on a smooth wooden desk. The man sitting behind it reached out and pressed on a small red button.

"What is it?" He quietly inquired.

"Giovanni sir," his secretary replied. "Professor Oak is ready to see you."

"Send him in," the Head of Team Rocket ordered before releasing the button. His hand immediately moved to his side and a large Persian eagerly placed his head under the waiting hand. Giovanni delicately stroked the Pokemon as he waited for the Professor to arrive.

Very soon, a series of sharp raps echoed in the office.

"Enter."

The large wooden door slammed open as the Professor was shoved into the room by two guards. He tripped and lay sprawled on the floor as both of the guards marched into the office and pointed their guns on him.

"Get up," Giovanni commanded as he crossed his arms.

With trembling arms, Oak weakly pushed himself off the ground before the two guards grabbed him from under his arms and yanked him harshly. They dragged the Professor forward and plopped him into the chair opposite of their leader.

Oak breathed deeply before speaking. "Please," he implored. "I need more time... There's so much research that needs to be done... I need to study...and analyze the findings..."

"I don't want to hear your excuses," Giovanni said coldly. "I gave you a deadline, and I am not satisfied with your results."

Giovanni unfolded his arms and reached for the computer touch screen on his desk. After closing several windows and typing something, he turned the computer screen for Oak to see.

The old professor's face grew pale and his eyes widened in fear and shock.

"Gary..." he whispered. The child was lying on a metal table. His wrists were handcuffed together, but he didn't make any attempt to break free of the bonds. He was breathing very slowly as a strange clear liquid was pumped into this arms. His brown eyes were filled with pain.

"Please..." Oak breathed. "He's just a boy. Let him go. I'll do whatever you want, just leave him out of this." His eyes couldn't break away from the screen. His throat constricted and his heart lurched as he realized that Gary was still wearing the same sweater he had bought for him for his first day of school. It had been torn and was soiled.

"I don't think so," Giovanni said as he turned the screen back into its proper position. Oak's hand unconsciously reached forward but one of the guards tapped it sharply with his gun.

"You know what I want Oak. Deliver it to me, and I will give you your grandson back. It's simple. But as you may have seen... he won't be the same boy you've raised. For every minute, for every second you don't give me what I want, he will suffer."

Oak's knuckles turned white as he balled his hands into fists. Giovanni watched him impassively.

"Do you understand?"

Oak slowly nodded and licked his parched lips. "Let me see him again."

Giovanni snapped his fingers and the two guards immediately grabbed Oak and began to drag him towards the door.

"No! No!"

Giovanni scratched behind Persian's ears as he watched the old man struggle. He smirked somewhat in amusement at the pain in the Professor's eyes.

* * *

**March 20th (Several weeks later)**

"Humans are naturally social creatures."

Professor Oak turned to look at his audience. It required much willpower to not shudder in disgust and horror. The elite Board of Rocket Executives and Head Scientists, as well as Giovanni, waited for him to continue. There was a certain kind of suspense lurking in the atmosphere. It reminded Professor Oak of a pack of hungry Arcanine ready to pounce on a helpless Meowth.

He cleared his throat.

"They strive to interact and communicate with other beings, whether it is with other humans or Pokémon. However, in order to be social, humans have had to find a way to communicate with one another. It may be through a spoken language, such as English or Japanese, or it could also be through a visual language, such as sign language or the written language."

Professor Oak sighed underneath his breath. He was very tired. He had barely slept at all after his last encounter with Giovanni. Every time he closed his eyes... Gary's trembling form would startle him awake. His heart grew heavy at the thought of him.

"Therefore, using this logic, my assistants and I have concluded that humans are capable of yet another language, using the human mind. Granted, we are not the first to think of this kind of language. Psychic Pokémon have been communicating telepathically for billions of years, back to the first ages of Pokémon history."

Professor Oak glanced nervously at Giovanni before continuing. They made eye contact, and Oak's eyes suddenly darted to stare at the potted plant behind the Persian.

Oak touched the large screen behind him and his presentation suddenly appeared: a large pie chart.

"My assistants and I have concluded that only a very small percentage of the human population can wield such power. Less than one percent in fact. "

"This power," Giovanni said. "You described it only for communication purposes, but could such power be expanded into something bigger... such as moving objects, predicting the future?"

Oak blinked in surprise. "I-I suppose. But that's not what-"

"Thank you Professor," Giovanni said as a guard moved forward and swiped the USB device from the monitor port.

"Hey!" Oak cried out to the guard. "What are you doing? That's my research!"

"Your services are no longer required Professor," Giovanni stated as he stood up from his seat. The guard walked up to him and handed him the USB flash drive. The Executives and Scientists followed his example and stared coldly at Oak.

"W-what do you mean?" Oak asked. "I can have Gary back?"

Giovanni simply stared at the Professor and watched the realization settle on his face. "I'm afraid we'll need to keep the boy a little longer. You see Professor, we've been monitoring your laboratory. And I know that you haven't told us everything. But this little device-" Giovanni twisted the tiny thing with his fingers. "-will be the key to my success. For your refusal to participate, we'll continue to experiment on the boy. I have a good feeling he may be... useful to me. Escort the Professor out."

"You can't do this," Oak said as two guards grabbed him. "I did everything you wanted! Please... just let me see him... He's my only family..."

"Goodbye Oak," Giovanni smirked. "I believe this will be the last we'll see of each other."

Professor Oak's anguished cry echoed in the long empty corridors of the headquarters as he was dragged away.

* * *

"Are you sure it was wise to let him walk away sir?" Professor Rowan asked Giovanni. "He knows too much."

"Not to worry Rowan," Giovanni responded as he exited the conference room with the Professor on his heels.

"Psychological pain is the most painful and strenuous kind of torment for there is no cure to a broken heart or spirit. I daresay that the Professor won't last a couple of weeks before he's driven mad. I'll even wager he'll be dead by May, just to escape from the grief."

"Of course sir," Rowan said.

Giovanni turned to the Professor. "Here Rowan-" He pressed the USB flash drive into his palm. "-You know what to do. Report back to me soon, I want an update on every finding. I will not waste billions of dollars on another failed experiment. Start with the boy we have now."

"Of course sir," Rowan repeated. He abruptly turned around and walked back to the conference room to talk to his assistants.

Giovanni looked down at his Persian. He patted his head once and the Pokémon purred in content.

"Come along Persian. It's time to eat lunch."

* * *

**May 20th**

"Enter."

The large wooden door of Giovanni's office slammed open once more, but this time a confident and eager Professor strode in. Under his right arm was a vanilla folder. The guards lingered outside and shut the door behind Rowan.

"What do you have for me Rowan?" Giovanni asked as the Professor sat in the seat opposite of him.

Rowan put on his spectacles and reached into the folder and pulled out several documents. He cleared his throat before beginning.

"I think you'll be pleased sir," he said. "Oak failed to mention in his presentation that the weapon needed to have a pure mind, meaning that it could not be contaminated by other means of communication. This means that the weapon needed to be a child; one who has not learned to talk or heard others speak verbally. That way the weapon's telepathic powers will be greatly enhanced, and the only means of communication it has is through its mind. So, for the last two months, we've...taken infants and babies from different areas; from Kanto to Sinnoh. We didn't want to draw too much attention. Anyways, most of the children proved to be useless, and we've already disposed of them."

Rowan grinned slightly as he shifted his papers around.

"However, we've remarkably been able to recover two extraordinary children from Hoenn. One is a male born on August 14th and the other a female born October 25th. The male is from a large city known as LaRousse and the female is from a smaller one: Littleroot. From the start, we've noticed that the children's brainwaves were rather powerful than the other children. Using the same technique we did with Oak's grandson, we literally transmitted knowledge into the children's brains to enhance their knowledge. They could literally be a walking encyclopedia."

Rowan chuckled at his joke before continuing.

"One day, my assistants were studying the female's brainwaves. After they had finished, they reported back to me and claimed to hear the girl's thoughts. The female was sleeping at the time and had no idea that she was transmitting her dreams. As a result, we increased her studies by teaching her complicated mathematical, reading, and science techniques."

"And the boy?" Giovanni asked. "What of him?"

"Ah, yes," Rowan said. "The male has yet to start to communicate. These are children sir; they can only process so much information and begin to communicate as well."

"Of course," Giovanni said. "Where is Oak's grandson? I want to see him."

Rowan's bushy white eyebrows shot up in surprise. "He's in his room sir."

Giovanni rose from his chair and walked past the Professor with Persian trailing behind him.

"Oak committed suicide just this morning. Poor man jumped into the water behind Pallet Town and drowned. If you fail me Rowan, I suggest you do the same. It would be a... less painful way to go than the one I have planned out for you."


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning: the following chapter may induce confusion. Reading carefully is advised.  
**

**Chapter 2**

* * *

**August 10th (Four years later)**

_Hi._

She was sitting in a large room. The ceiling, walls and floor were a startling white. It seemed as if the room had no dimension, as if it stretched endlessly in all directions for miles and miles. In front of her was a boy she had never seen before. She softly gasped: he was the first human she had ever seen. The boy was taller than her and obviously older, around eight she guessed. His fair brown hair was marred with several gray streaks and had been grown to stick up in different directions. It was strange that he looked better this way. His soft brown eyes studied her curiously but there was an unmistakable trace of sadness in them. The girl hesitated.

_Hi._

The other boy stood up and walked up to her. The girl pretended to not notice him as he sat right next to her, despite the fact that she had just responded to his greeting seconds ago. She was aware that the polite thing for the boy to do next was to ask what her name was. How she knew that she didn't know, but before she could have a chance to ask, the boy spoke.

_What's your name?_

The girl blinked, stupefied. What was her name? She knew what a name was, but she just didn't know hers.

_I... I don't know,_she replied bashfully.

_It says right here on your clothes_, the boy said. He tugged on the right sleeve of his white uniform. Tiny black letters and numbers had been stitched on to his clothing.

_I'm PH10001. Your name is PH10238._

_Why did you ask me if you already knew?_PH10238 asked curiously.

The boy, or PH10001, grew silent.

_I don't know_, he said. _It just seemed like the right thing to do._

* * *

"Get rid of him!"

It was easy to tell that Giovanni was too impatient and irritable to be further pushed, but Rowan licked his lips and tried again.

"But sir, we've invested so much time and money on the boy. We can't just throw him away like a piece of garbage."

The muscles on Giovanni's arm flexed. His nails dug into Persian's scalp. The Pokemon yowled and hissed in protest.

"That's what he is: a piece of garbage! It's been years and the boy hasn't made _any_ progress. I've told you countless times Rowan. I will not spend billions of more dollars on a failed experiment. Get rid of him now! That's an order."

Rowan internally sighed. "Of course sir."

He stiffly turned around and his feet dragged him back to his laboratory. Had it already been four years since he started working on this project? Granted, it felt like decades. Rowan had to admit; at first the concept of the project intrigued him. That's why he volunteered so eagerly to participate in it. Getting rid of all those children and infants…it was quite disturbing, but it was necessary to further their goal. They had no other choice.

Rowan absentmindedly nodded to the two guards standing outside of his laboratory door. They opened the door for him and he approached two scientists observing the meeting between PH10001 and PH10238.

"Where is Dr. Jeffreys?" he asked him.

As if on cue, Rowan's lead assistant staggered out from a separate room and waddled towards him. Poor fellow, he was a brilliant man, but he couldn't seem to cut down a few pounds.

"How was your meeting with Giovanni Professor?" He asked once he finally reached him.

"We're to terminate Weapon PH10321," Professor Rowan quietly said. "He is obsolete."

Dr. Jeffrey's silly grin immediately fell into a sad grimace. "Of course," he sadly remarked. "It's been a while since we've… you know." He cleared his throat and three of his chins wobbled. "Shall I?"

Rowan shook his head. "I'll do it; spare you from the mess."

Dr. Jeffreys nodded. "When will Giovanni stop by? Did he mention a time?"

"No," Rowan said. "Assume he'll come at his regular interval. Prepare him fifteen minutes ahead of time."

Rowan snuck a peek at the screen his two other assistants were intently watching. PH10001 and PH10238 resembled statues on the high-definition screen, but he knew they were in deep conversation.

"What are those two talking about?" He asked one of his assistants. "I'm curious."

"They're getting to know each other still," one of them said.

"However PH10238 is debating whether or not she's dreaming," the other added.

"Hmph," Rowan grunted. "Interesting."

He walked towards the room on the right side of the lab and punched the security code.

"Access granted," the mechanical voice said before the door slid open.

The room was brightly lit, as it always was. There was only one metal cot in the large room. Several tubes were hooked to inject drugs in a small green-haired boy asleep on it. He was no more than six. Dr. Jeffreys snatched the boy from a daycare in LaRousse when he pronounced him dead of a high fever. He even burned the remains of a dead Hoothoot to pass as the ashes of the infant.

Rowan studied the boy's face. It was very calm, peaceful, although there were notable dark rings under his eyes from the stress and pain of the experiments.

For the first time in four years, Rowan wondered if what he was doing was worth all the pain and suffering. He almost immediately dismissed the notion and mentally scolded himself for even thinking of such an idea. After all, it was all in the good of science and innovation.

Checking his brain wave activity one more time, Rowan made certain that there wasn't any abnormal behavior. Rowan shook his head sadly and walked over to the corner of the room. He unlocked a small filing cabinet and took out a small silver revolver. They used to euthanize and put the children to sleep, but Giovanni cut their funding and forced them to use a cheaper alternative.

Rowan placed the muzzle of the gun at the child's temple. He internally sighed before pulling the trigger. But the trigger wouldn't move. Rowan squeezed harder on the trigger, but the stubborn switch refused to budge. The Professor lifted the curious contraption and studied it curiously. It didn't appear to be broken. He looked down at the child and jumped a little to see him awake and staring at him with large emerald eyes.

The gun in Rowan's hand grew warmer and he instinctually dropped it. The gun clattered to the floor before melting into a small puddle of metal. Rowan suddenly doubled over and clutched his head in pain. It felt as if his brain was pushing, expanding, out of his skull.

_You were going to kill me._

Panting heavily, Rowan squinted at PH10321 who had sat up to see him. The child watched the Professor with mild interest, as if waiting for an answer. He smirked a little at him.

Having no way of communicating with the child, Rowan could only simply nod. His head throbbed horribly. The door suddenly slid open and the two guards who had been standing outside of his laboratory bounded in. One of them shot a tranquilizer dart at PH10321 and he thankfully fell backwards onto his metal cot.

Professor Rowan angrily waved his hand at a guard who tried to help him. He pressed his index finger against his mouth, signaling to the two men to keep quiet. Rowan rose to his feet and the headache instantaneously vanished. He and the two guards hurried out of the room just as several other assistants rushed in to check on the child.

Dr. Jeffreys sped walked as quickly as he could to Rowan on his pudgy little legs. The Professor settled into a large plush armchair usually reserved to a guard.

"What happened in there?" the doctor urgently asked.

Rowan shook his head. "It's unbelievable really," he said with wonder. "Never have I felt such power, not even from Psychic Pokemon."

"What happened?" The doctor demanded impatiently.

Rowan bitterly chuckled. "Something phenomenal. One thing is certain: we can't terminate him. He's much too valuable to lose."

* * *

_Is this all real?_

PH10001 tilted his head curiously and flashed a crooked smile at her. PH10238 met his tired eyes, undaunted.

_Is this all real?_ He repeated with a hint of amusement in his voice.

_Don't make fun,_ she whined. _How do I know you're not just… another dream…or nightmare?_

The smile quickly fell. PH10001 slowly reached out and grasped her hand. His hand was warm while hers was cold as ice.

_You __**feel**__ real, _he said. He gave her hand a small squeeze before ducking his head slightly to meet her wide blue eyes.

_You __**look**__ real. _

He suddenly leaned forward and deeply inhaled the scent of PH10238's hair before returning to his original position.

_You __**smell**__ real…and nice too, _he added with a playful smile. The girl smiled in response.

_And-_ The girl suddenly felt something warm and wet run against her cheek and jumped a little.

_Hey!_ She protested. PH10238 wiped her cheek with the back of her hand.

_Yuck!_

_You __**taste**__ real too, _the boy said with a large cheeky grin. _ Not as good as you smell though. And I heard your little outburst too so I guess you __**sound**__ real._

PH10238 smiled in amusement before biting her lip nervously. PH10001 looked at her worriedly.

_You're not convinced though, _he said dejectedly.

_We've established that you and I are real, _she said. _But that still doesn't mean you won't leave me… with them._ The girl could almost feel the cold needles invading her and pumping strange liquids that burned and itched under skin.

The boy squeezed her hand again in comfort. _Don't worry,_ he said. _You're not alone. _

_You promise you won't leave me? _PH10238 looked up to meet the eyes of her new friend. Determination replaced the grief in his eyes and he nodded in affirmation.

_I promise._

And suddenly, PH10001 was gone. The white room twisted and warped. It instantly turned pitch dark and cold. The girl cried out in fear, but no one heard her.

* * *

"Good afternoon boy. How are you?"

PH10001 felt something soft against his eyelids and knew that he had been blindfolded again. Even so, a wave of comfort washed over him.

_Father_, he replied. _I met a new friend._

"Did you now?" An air of surprise touched his voice. "How is she?"

_She's younger than me, but she's really pretty,_ PH10001 said with a soft smile. _I hope to see her again soon._

"I don't know about that boy. I'm not sure you will."

Cold dread stung him and he jerked in response.

_But I promised I would…_

"I know you did. But we'll be meeting soon. I don't you want to be distracted. You understand don't you?"

PH10001 bit his lip nervously. He wanted very badly to meet his father, yet… he couldn't help but feel guilty for leaving PH10238. She depended on him so much.

_I don't know,_ he responded.

His father sighed. "I guess your old man isn't important enough for you then. Goodbye son."

_No, wait! _The boy cried out urgently. _Please don't go…_

But it was too late; his father had already left. Unable to stop himself, PH10001 cried against the black strip of cloth wrapped around his head. He cried silently until he dozed to sleep with a heavy heart.

* * *

Giovanni smirked to himself as he watched Rowan's assistants swarm around PH10001 and began to check his blood pressure and temperature. He rose deliberately and walked out of the small room. Rowan was still resting on the armchair, recovering from the mental attack PH10321 had subjected him to.

"When will I be able to talk to the boy in person?" He asked.

Rowan was silent for a moment. "He's passed basic steps already. He should be ready in about a month. However his mental abilities will be severely limited if he is exposed to verbal speech again. He was only two when we brought him here."

Giovanni nodded. "So be it then. All experiments on him are to cease immediately now that the other boy seems to be working. One month Rowan, not a day more."

Persian purred softly as it followed Giovanni out of the laboratory. The contempt and impatience in Giovanni's voice when he spoke to him irked Rowan. He was a world renowned scientist who happened to make several bad mistakes. Now he was reduced to this! Taking orders from a madman to killing and experimenting on children.

Rowan frowned. Why had he started to think like this? These thoughts had never struck him until now. He had never felt any bitterness towards Giovanni until now, so why start?


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the reviews so far. I always look forward to reading them!**

* * *

**Ch. 3  
**

**August 12th**

_Hey, wake up…_

PH10238 frowned slightly before opening her eyes. She slowly sat up and observed her surroundings. She was back in the white room with not PH10001, but with someone else. Dull green eyes stared into hers as she crawled on her hands and knees to his side. He watched her with a sort of dead, impassive look. The boy looked to be about her age. His jade colored hair was slightly tousled as was his white uniform. The code on his sleeve identified him as PH10321.

_You're not…_ PH10238 started. But she stopped herself as she gazed into his eyes. She could tell he wasn't interested.

_So what's your name? _The boy asked. He was eyeing the black "PH10238" on her right sleeve.

_My name is PH10238, _she said automatically. _What's your name?_

_PH10321, _he replied immediately._ It's nice to meet you._

_It's nice to meet you too._

_So where are we? _He asked as he swiveled his head, breaking the eye contact. But the white room only continued to expand and widen. There was no end to it.

_I don't- I don't know,_ PH10238 responded. _I've only been here once._

_Hmm…_

The two sat there silently, not daring to look at the other. The atmosphere grew tense. PH10238 bit her lip nervously as she stared at the white floor. Her right arm felt sore and weak when she shifted her weight and sat in a more comfortable position. Curious, PH10238 rolled up her sleeve and observed the bright red scar on the crux, or the inner part, of her elbow. She found it slightly fascinating that there were purple and blue splotches surrounding the wound. Using her other hand, the girl rubbed at the skin, but her arm ached and the skin started to redden.

_What are you doing?_ PH10321 asked. He sounded resentful and irritable.

_It's not coming off,_ she said as she continued to rub at the spot.

_Stop that, _the boy said. _It won't help, see?_

The boy rolled up his right sleeve and showed her his arm. In the exact spot as hers was the purple and blue blemish as well as the same red scar. It was the almost exact same injury.

_I have one too, _PH10321 said. His thoughts grew soft and melancholy. _It looks just like yours. Hurts doesn't it?_

He offered her a small smile of comfort, but it quickly disappeared. He looked the other direction and allowed his crumpled sleeve to drop. PH10238 did likewise and ignored her itching wound. The uncomfortable silence fell again and it seemed to draw and lengthen. PH10321 started to fidget in place and his right index finger twitched occasionally. He was deep in thought.

Time passed and neither of two bothered to start a conversation. PH10238 didn't know how long she had been in this mysterious strange white room, but she started to hate it. To see nothing but an infinite white space bored and annoyed her. It even caused her eyes to hurt if she stared at the bright color for too long.

_You have something on the side your neck,_ PH10238 said when she turned her head to look at him. She unconsciously reached over and gently traced the large dark patch of skin with her finger. PH10321 jumped a little at the contact and remained perfectly still until the girl retreated and sat back down properly.

_They burned me yesterday, _he explained._ I didn't even do anything wrong. It hurt… a lot._

_It looks like it did, _PH10238 said. _I'm sorry._

_I don't like the fat one,_ PH10321 said bitterly_. He dunks me underwater when I take a bath. One time it went black, but I regained consciousness when he slapped me awake. Then he slammed me against the ground and started to kick me._

_Oh, him, _the girl softly said. Tears started to pour from her eyes as she pointed to the side of her head. _He shocks me here. It scares me every time because it hurts more each time he does it..._

* * *

"Where is Dr. Jeffreys?" Professor Rowan muttered to an assistant who was preparing several shots for the PH10238 and PH10321.

"I believe he's in his office sir," the assistant said as he tapped the needles with his finger.

He thanked the man and stormed off to his lead assistant's office. It was thankfully a short walk from his laboratory. When he reached the door, he barged into the room without bothering to knock. Dr. Jeffreys was sitting behind his computer and typing something on the keyboard with his pudgy fingers. He looked up from the computer screen and smiled brightly at the Professor.

"Professor Rowan," he greeted cheerfully. "What can I do for you?"

The Professor closed the office door behind him and slowly walked up to the doctor.

"Dr. Jeffreys," he started as he opened his vanilla folder and dug out several papers. "Would you care to explain what _this_ means?"

Rowan angrily slammed the pages onto the desk with his hand, causing the desk, as well as Dr. Jeffreys, to quiver and tremble. Dr. Jeffreys reached into his lab pocket and pulled out his reading spectacles whiling eyeing the Professor curiously. He quickly read the recorded conversation between PH10238 and PH10321 and smiled before setting down the papers delicately on his desk.

"Calm yourself Professor Rowan," Dr. Jeffreys said. "You know how children are, always pretending and making things up. None of it is true."

A vein popped in Rowan's neck as he leaned toward the doctor. Jeffreys was sweating profusely even though the room was ice cold from the air conditioning.

"Don't tell me none of this is true," Rowan hissed. "Children do not _lie_ about something as serious as this-" He angrily stabbed his finger onto the paper."-Children do not _fabricate_ these kinds of specific situations."

"Please be reasonable Rowan," Dr. Jeffreys said calmly with a large smile. "PH10238 and PH10321 do not qualify as normal children. In fact, they have the intelligence of a well-educated white collar worker."

"The children's intelligence does not excuse the fact that they have the maturity of a four-year old!" Rowan growled. "They do not concoct instances of child abuse for fun! Are you mad Jeffreys? You should have told me what you were planning to do rather than blindly go behind my back and jeopardize the whole project! Just _what_ were you thinking?"

"It's actually quite simple Professor," Jeffreys said as he leaned against the back of his office chair. The seat creaked and wobbled dangerously under the additional weight. "I'm in charge of checking on the children's psychological behavior, to examine them for damaging or lasting effects."

Jeffreys paused and simply stared at the Professor with the large grin still plastered on his face. Rowan raised an eyebrow in question.

"And burning, drowning, and shocking the children prevents this _how_?"

"That's just the thing sir," Jeffreys exclaimed. "Giovanni's weapon is supposed to be an effective killing machine. Treating PH10238 and PH10321 as such forces them to give up their emotions and personality in order to survive under these harsh conditions. These are the mental aspects that define them as human beings."

Rowan could feel the heat rising to his head as his temper reached a boiling point. His throat constricted and he had the sudden urge to punch something, preferably Jeffreys' very large and fat face. But he took a deep breath to calm himself.

"Just… stop it," he managed to say, although there was a noticeably tremble in his voice. "No more of doing… whatever it is that you were doing."

"No, Jeffreys," a voice from behind Rowan said. "Don't listen to him. He's no longer in charge."

Rowan whirled around to see Giovanni standing in the doorway. Persian purred softly as the Head of Team Rocket walked into the office.

"Giovanni, sir," Rowan spluttered as Giovanni strode around him to stand besides Dr. Jeffreys. "W-What do you mean by I'm no longer in charge?"

"It means you are no longer presiding over this project as the head anymore," Giovanni said coldly. "I've decided to place Dr. Jeffreys as such instead. You now have the honor of being his lead assistant."

Rowan's heart nearly froze. His face paled and his eyes had widened in shock. Giovanni smirked at him as he patted Jeffrey's large shoulder. Rowan shook his head and quickly composed himself. He nodded respectfully to Giovanni.

"Of course sir," he said almost mechanically. "I understand. But may I ask why?"

"You're getting too attached to the children," Giovanni snapped. He allowed the anger to rise in his voice. "I need someone who won't get distracted and diverted from the overall mission. Jeffreys understands that they're not human, but weapons to serve my bidding. However, your expertise and knowledge is required, which is why I haven't gotten rid of you yet. Now get out, I want to talk to the new _leader_ of my project."

Rowan nodded slowly and walked back the way he came in.

* * *

**November 27****th**

It was daytime. Or was it night? Did it matter though? She had never seen the sun or moon before, so why would PH10238 care about the time of day?

She was resting on her metal bed. Her wrists and ankles had been shackled, but it didn't matter: she was too weak to move. It had been about seventy hours since they last brought her food, almost three days. They had only brought her enough water for her to remain conscious. It was deathly silent since they had plugged her ears with molded wax. She barely acknowledged the strange clear liquid seeping into her arm. PH10238 could only stare at the bright fluorescent lights above her. Her eyes began to roll to the back of her head and her eyelids slowly closed. The machine monitoring her pulse slowed.

Suddenly, a spasm of pain pierced her lower back and effectively jolted her awake. Her heartbeat accelerated as she gasped for air. Her heartbeat eventually slowed and more time passed. PH10238's eyelids began to droop again.

Suddenly, the room was bathed in a dark red light. PH10238 sat up in shock but the room spun and her head throbbed horribly. One of the scientists burst inside and immediately rushed to unlock her chains. Although the girl recognized him, she rarely saw him at all. It was usually the fat one who visited her while she was awake. But Ph10238 didn't dare fidget as the man tore off the tubes and wires attached to her. She was afraid of doing something without being told to. The scientist reached forward and plucked the plugs from her ears.

"Come," the man breathed as he lifted her off of her bed. "Come with me!"

PH10238 froze in shock. She shivered unconsciously in fear even as the man grabbed her hand and dragged her with him. He had spoken with his mouth! But how was that possible? It wasn't, it couldn't be. She must've heard wrong; having her hearing taken away for three days made her ears sensitive. She must've imagined his mouth moving in accordance to the words. Yes, she simply imagined it. But even so, the girl touched her lips in amazement as they quickly ran across a wide open space to a different door. PH10238 flinched and cringed to hear a loud wailing siren echo across room. It was like tiny spikes were being driven into her ears.

The man who could speak with his mouth quickly faded from PH10238's mind. Fascination replaced her terror as she swiveled her head in all directions, trying to drink in all of the sights. For as long as she remembered, PH10238 had never ventured out of her small metal room. She had even accidentally memorized the layout of the room, from her metal bed to the sink across the room. There was even a mysterious cabinet in the corner of her room that no one had ever approached, much less touch. The man misinterpreted her curiosity for struggling and tightened his hold on her.

They entered another room and the shrill scream of the siren instantly vanished, but PH10238 was nearly crushed in disappointment. They seemed to have somehow made a circle and had returned to her room. What was the point of that little stroll then? There was another scientist besides her bed, fumbling with the long tubes and wires attached to sensors. The red light bathing the room started to hurt PH10238's eyes.

"Get out of here Fields," the man barked. "I'll take care of him; just go before they get here!"

PH10238 flinched at the man's strange way of communicating. So she had not imagined it. Perhaps it was what he would do when he wanted to communicate forcefully. But why couldn't he just speak with his mind like her? It was certainly faster and more effective. She cowered just from remembering the power and urgency in his voice. She was even tempted to join the other scientist and leave with him just because of how strong and fierce his words were.

The other man spun around and nodded. He whimpered slightly as he rushed past PH10238 and the man and out the door. The room was temporarily filled with the ear-shattering wailing of the siren before the door slid closed again.

"Come here boy."

PH10238 looked back at her bed. She was surprised to see PH10321 sitting casually on top of it. So this hadn't been her own room after all. The boy hopped off the metal bed and scrambled to the man and her.

"Hurry, hurry," the man muttered as he reached forward and grabbed the boy's wrist. He pulled him towards him so that he and Ph10238 stood shoulder to shoulder.

"Now listen to me," the man said as he crouched on one knee to meet PH10238 and PH10321's eye level. He wiped the sweat off his brow with his white sleeve, although it looked pink under the light.

"Humans speak with their voices," he whispered hurriedly. "They're not capable of what you can do so don't try it on them. Some people are going to find you, okay? And you're to go with them. They'll keep you safe. If they ask you something, don't- don't respond. Your vocals aren't strong enough to speak... yet."

_They're going to kill you,_ PH10321 said for both PH10238 and the man to hear. _They've been given orders to shoot down anyone in sight. _

"I know boy," the man growled. "I'm the one who told them to." His eyes flashed dangerously. Something fierce stirred in his eyes before they softened.

"It doesn't matter. My life ended the day I agreed to head this project," he sighed. "Can you believe it took me four years to realize that?" He chuckled half-heartedly.

The room suddenly rumbled and shook. The red lights flickered before short circuiting. It was pitch black for a moment before the backup generator whirred to life. The room brightened again and the man grabbed the two children by their wrists before towing them out of PH10321's room.

The siren had finally stopped and was replaced by an eerie silence. The building shuddered again. PH10238 trembled. She could faintly hear angry snarls and growls somewhere up ahead. It frightened her to know what kinds of beasts could produce such terrible noise. Was he going to feed them to those monsters? The girl bit her lip at the thought of steel claws ripping through her flesh and strong teeth tearing her apart. So lost in thought she was that PH10238 hadn't even noticed that they had arrived in another room until the man released his grip on her.

The man walked up to a table and pulled out drawer. He pulled something out of it hastily before stuffing it into his lab coat pocket. It was obvious that he was trying to hide what he had taken out, but PH10238 caught sight of the white glint of light bouncing off of metal.

"Come here," he snapped. The two immediately walked towards him. The sharpness of his voice frightened PH10238. She wasn't used to such harsh demands. It amazed her that such emotion could be heard in voices.

"Under here," he said, ushering the two children under the table. PH10321 ducked underneath the table first. He was shortly joined by PH10238. She was surprised at how spacious it was under the table. If she wanted to, she could lie down easily and sleep. It was like a small hideout. There were even small holes at the bottom of the table to allow light and air in.

The man crouched down and checked to make sure everything was in order. He stared at the both of them. They were both very thin and their skin was a sickly color of white, almost transparent. With the dark rings under their eyes, they could have passed for corpses. But their eyes brimmed with life and a strange glint of curiosity found in nearly all children. It was the desire to know more, to understand what the world around them meant, and, above all, to know why this was happening and what would happen next. The man swallowed thickly. He had done this; he had brought this upon them. The building shook again and dust rained on him. A small mug containing pencils and pens on his desk clattered onto the floor, spilling all of its contents.

"Do one more thing for me children," he said gently. "Cover your ears and count slowly. When you reach one hundred, you can put your hands down."

The two children nodded, although PH10321's eyes showed a small trace of grief, as if he knew what would happen next.

"You two are so incredibly gifted," he murmured loud enough for them to hear. "Don't you forget that. Don't forget that. You are so very… special."

The man sighed before sliding the door shut and clicking it in place.

* * *

Professor Rowan straightened up and rubbed his neck. He felt very tired and worn out, but oddly content. He even felt… a little proud of himself. So sad it was though, that even a mere four-year old child seemed to know about the concept of death. The Professor walked over to the corner of his office where there was a small bookcase. He read over some of the titles of the textbooks he had messily thrown on the shelves, but stopped when he grew bored of them. His eyes darted over to a small picture frame on top of the bookcase. There was a picture of a young beautiful woman with long golden locks and kind bright eyes. The picture had grown dusty over the years. Rowan realized that he hadn't thought about his wife in all these years. Tears began to bud in the corner of Rowan's eyes and he wiped them away stubbornly. He reached out and gently placed the picture face down.

Professor Rowan reached into his lab pocket and pulled out a small revolver. He had secretly stolen it from PH10321's room hours before they came. He had already inserted the bullets into it. He sat in a small rickety chair and pressed the barrel of the gun to his temple. He vaguely thought of the countless children he had murdered in this fashion. Yes, murder. There was no denying it.

At least some justice could be served.

* * *

_52, 53, 54…_

But PH10238 could still hear a sharp crack and the dull thud as something heavy fall onto the floor. She glanced at PH10321 in worry. The boy was staring at her. His green eyes shone with sorrow and he put his hands down from his ears. PH10238 did the same.

* * *

Again, PH10238 found herself wondering how much time had passed. Had it been a day, or two? It certainly felt like it. She glanced at PH10321. He had snuggled as best he could in a corner and had almost instantly fallen asleep. PH10238 wished she could fall asleep as quickly as him, but she knew that it was impossible. So much had happened, and PH10238 was alive with anticipation. But even so, hunger gnawed on her belly and her mouth was parched. Her headache had returned and PH10238 knew just how tired she was when she saw three little green-haired boys dozing beside her. Suddenly something large and heavy walked into the office, blocking the light from reaching their small hiding spot.

_Hey,_ PH10238 cried. _Wake up!_

PH10321's eyes blinked open and he rubbed them tiredly before silently yawning. The two froze when they heard the beast sniffing hastily, looking for them. PH10238 heard something echo outside of the office and she squeezed her eyes shut in fear. Her head ached mercilessly as from the pounding headache.

_Someone else is coming,_ PH10321 said to her tiredly. _He's human, unlike the thing in here right now._ _Its mind feels… alien._

The heavy pants grew louder as the large beast drew nearer to the table. A black nose suddenly poked itself in the middle one of the small holes. PH10321 tugged on Ph10238's shirt and the two quietly inched away from it. The black nose sniffed around urgently. Despite the fear welling up in her, PH10238 found the twitching nose to be somewhat amusing.

"Did you find anything-" A voice in the office asked before cutting themselves off. "This must be Rowan," the person sadly acknowledged.

The nose sniffed around one final time before retreating. The beast emitted a sharp yelp, startling the two children.

"Did you find them Kia?"

The beast yelped again and whined. PH10238 and PH10321 stiffened when there was suddenly a large piercing eye staring into the hole. They could hear the beast breathing heavily as it watched them hungrily.

"They're in the desk? Huh, interesting… But how…?"

The door to their hiding spot clicked and opened. Light flooded into the confined area, blinding the two children. Once their eyes adjusted to the bright light, they saw a man smile at them. He was garbed in a black bulky uniform that PH10238 recognized as Kevlar. He also had a shiny black helmet on his head with some sort of headlight on the front of it.

"Hey," he said. "We've all been so worried about you. Why don't you come out and we'll help get you to somewhere safe?"

PH10321 immediately crawled out from under the desk, and the strange man helped him up.

"Come on," he said soothingly to PH10238. "I won't hurt you."

The gentleness in his voice stunned her. Not all words spoken with the voice were harsh. They could be spoken softly and with compassion. It was tender and kindhearted. No one had ever spoken to her like that. PH10238 also found herself crawling out from underneath. How could she not listen to such a sweet and compelling tone?

The man gripped her from her underarms and helped her to stand.

"Come here Kia," the man said.

PH10238 flinched when she caught sight of the large beast approach the two. It was much more horrible than she imagined. She barely even reached the chest of the massive monster. At that moment though, her headache grew worse and she leaned tiredly against the man for support. The room would not stop spinning, why was that? And had it always been this hot inside? PH10238's fear melted away and the girl couldn't care less about the beast now; she just wanted to lie down and rest.

"Hey," she barely heard the man say. "What's the matter?" Suddenly the back of the man's hand was pressed against her cheek. His icy hand cooled her flaming skin and PH10238 stubbornly grabbed the hand when it tried to pull away. She pressed it against her other cheek this time, and smiled as it cooled her burning face. They could punish her later, but at the moment, she didn't care.

The man gently pried his hand out of PH10238's grip. The girl was too weak to protest as he carefully lifted her into the air and cradled her in one arm.

"Come here kid," he muttered to PH10321 and offered him his other hand. The boy took it anxiously as they approached the beast. The orange and white creature shook her tail energetically at the two. She bent down and licked PH10321's cheek affectionately. He smiled widely at the beast and stared at her as the man gently placed PH10238 on top of her. She slumped forward and almost toppled off the Pokemon.

"You too," the man said as he reached out to PH10321. He easily set him on Kia's furry backside before patting the Pokemon.

"Careful, girl," he murmured. "They're so fragile."

The Arcanine softly whined before marching out of the office. PH10238 leaned tiredly against PH10321, but he didn't seem to mind. He was careful not to wake her when he twisted around and began to stroke Kia's bushy white tail. The man followed the Pokemon as he pulled a black walkie-talkie from his belt.

"Lieutenant Edwards from Sector D, Division 3 to Base. Located the two children: one female and one male. Rowan found dead, I repeat, Rowan found dead in Room 201E. Two children are underweight, malnourished. Female appears to be gravely ill: requires immediate medical attention. Over."

* * *

**And we'll end it here for now.**


	4. Chapter 4

**May 23rd (Ten Years Later)**

It was an early Tuesday morning, and the sky was streaked with orange and yellow as the sun slowly began to rise. But the Petalburg Gym was alive with energy. A Vigoroth lifted weights with his trainer while a Delcatty sprinted on a treadmill. Her trainer encouraged her with compliments and the promise of fresh berries afterwards. A large stereo sat in the corner of the room, blaring loud energetic music.

Meanwhile, a Zangoose and Teddiursa sparred with one another in the outdoor practice field. The Cat Ferret Pokemon grinned deviously before using Double Team. Mirror copies of the Pokemon sprouted all over the field, mocking the Teddiursa with its evil smirk. Confused, the Teddiursa swiveled his head wildly, trying to spot the real Pokemon. Suddenly, Zangoose streaked towards the Teddiursa and slammed his shoulder against the Pokemon, knocking him to the ground. Zangoose planted a large foot firmly on his back and bent down to tap his opponent's stubby neck with his two sharp claws. He stepped off of the smaller Pokemon and helped Teddiursa onto his feet.

But the vibrant and vigorous mood seemed to be missing on the opposite side of the Gym. Tensions were high and tempers were running in the small room just several feet from the main entrance.

"She's not going, I won't let her."

A tall man with black hair crossed his arms angrily. He stared at a woman with brown locks of hair and bright blue eyes sitting across from him. Unlike the man though, she managed to speak in a smooth and pleading voice even though she was slightly annoyed by her husband's stubbornness.

"She's fifteen years old," said the woman. "We can't keep her in Petalburg forever, you know that. It's been eleven years Norman."

The man's stern composure broke at the last sentence. A distinguishable trace of sadness flickered in his black eyes as he sighed.

"That's precisely it Caroline," Norman said. His voice softened. "May's only fifteen. It's not safe for kids like her in such a dangerous world. You don't know what will happen to her."

"She's not a child anymore," Caroline said gently. "She's growing up. May's becoming a responsible and mature adult. Who are we to stand in her way from her goals and dreams?"

Norman didn't answer. He only stared intently at a small pen protruding from underneath a small pile of papers on his desk. Suddenly, a shrill bell rang outside of the room, signaling another day at the Petalburg Gym. Norman looked out the window of his office and already saw several eager trainers waiting in line for their chance to battle him.

"I have to go dear," Norman said as he rose from his desk.

"We're not done with this," Caroline replied as Norman stooped to give her a quick peck on her cheek.

He chuckled as he opened door and strode towards the training section of the building.

* * *

"What did Dad say?"

Caroline dug out a large wad of jelly and smeared it onto a slab of whole wheat bread.

"He's still thinking about it," she responded as she prepared her daughter's lunch. "Give him some time May."

The fifteen-year old girl resting on a couch pouted. She sat up and looked imploringly at her mother.

"But the deadline is in three days," she exclaimed. "If I don't respond by then, I won't be able to go."

Caroline delicately placed the sandwich into a small bag before turning around to toss it to May. She caught it before stuffing it into her backpack.

"Don't worry about it, alright?" Caroline said as May stood up. She slung her bag over her shoulder and waved goodbye to her mother. "I'll talk to him about it."

"Fine," May said as she walked towards the door. "I have to go."

"Have a good day sweetie," her mother called out from the kitchen. "I love you."

May opened the door and allowed a large gust of wind to slam it shut. She bit her lip nervously as she walked down the familiar dusty road towards the bus stop. There was suddenly a loud whoosh! And something white and hot galloped past her. She could tell, without looking up, that it was Jenny riding on her newly captured Rapidash again. She had been showing off her new Pokemon for the last two days by riding it to school.

"That's one fast Rapidash," May heard someone exclaim as she neared towards the bus stop.

"I'll say," another one said. "It looks tough too. I wonder how Jenny got it since she battles like my two year old brother!"

"Hey," one of the boys said. He smiled mockingly at May as she approached the two. "What do you think about Jenny's Rapidash May?"

"Uhh," May stammered, stunned at being asked. "I mean i-it's fast, there's no doubt about it… I mean it's a Rapidash. They're able to reach top speeds of 150 mph incredibly quickly as well as being capable of running for miles nonstop… But, I mean, its speed is good but that can … that can easily counteracted with something as simple as something like status ailments… And then it all comes down to what strategy you're trying to implement…"

"Uh, never mind," the boy interjected. "I asked for an opinion, not a lecture."

His friend snickered and the two began to converse with each other again. May's face burned as she looked away in embarrassment.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid!_ She mentally scolded herself. _Why can't you be normal for once?_

"Hey kid, you coming?"

May whirled around to see the bus driver scowling at her. She hadn't even noticed the bus had arrived.

"I-I'm sorry," she stuttered nervously as she scrambled on board the bus. The driver grunted to her as she glanced around in dismay. There were no open seats for her to sit in. But she brightened at the sight of a girl she recognized from her Pokemon Health Class. She had even helped her write an essay as to why Berries were more convenient and effective to use than Potions.

"Hi Alyssa," May greeted timidly. "Would it be alright if I sat with you?"

The girl glanced up from her PokeNav 4G and hesitated. She smiled halfheartedly.

"I'd rather you didn't," she said before redirecting her attention back to the gadget in her hand.

"Just sit with her," the bus driver yelled angrily. "Hurry it up!" It was against school policy to drive while the students were standing. The security camera at the front of the bus made sure of that.

May looked sympathetically at Alyssa before squeezing into the narrow bus seat with her. The girl glanced at her in disgust and snapped open her PokeNav. She typed something into the device with her long fingers before shutting it and dropping it into her book bag. May didn't need to look at the PokeNav to know that it was about her. And that was never a good thing.

* * *

May entered her first class and took her seat in the back corner of the room. It was better to sit in the back: the teacher didn't bother her and she didn't have to take notes. She pulled out a heavy textbook on Pokemon Evolution and flipped to a random page. She had already finished reading it during the second week of school and had memorized all of the material during the fifth week.

It was rather quiet in the classroom. It usually was since most of the students lingered on the floor below. Even the teacher hadn't appeared yet. In fact, he was usually the last one to enter the class.

May blinked and nearly forgot to open her eyes. She hadn't slept last night. May had finished her handwritten report on the long-standing rivalry between Zangoose and Seviper when she noticed that she had mistakenly misspelled Seviper twice as "Sevipar" in her fatigue. Frustrated, she ripped apart her paper and started clean on another blank one. She was extra careful to make no spelling mistakes. But by the time she had finished, it was already morning and her mother had returned from the Gym and was calling her down for breakfast.

"Hi May."

May's blue eyes immediately widened and she turned her head. Someone had sat in the desk next to her. But her surprise was immediately replaced by disinterest as she recognized the person. Her wide smile unnerved May but she automatically said hi back.

"So," Kristen started. She twirled her long golden hair with her fingers while eying the packet on the desk she was sitting at. "I was hoping you could _look over_ my packet for Habitats again."

May grabbed the packet off the desk and stifled a yawn as she flipped through the six pages. There wasn't a single answer written for any of the questions. It didn't make May any happier that most of the questions demanded paragraph-long answers.

"I'll give it back to you at the end of the class," May said. The girl squealed happily and opened her arms, as if to hug her, but decided better of it.

"Thanks again May!" she said excitedly as she grabbed her belongings and rushed towards the door. "I'll make it up to you one day!"

_Sure,_ May thought as she rummaged through her pencil pouch for a pen. _That's only the 56__th__ time you've said that._

* * *

By the time school was over, May had completed seventeen different homework assignments. Her writing hand was particularly sore after scribbling down a long Health assignment on the different types of Berries and their symptoms, if any.

_Just say no, just say no…_

But it didn't matter what she wanted because it would never happen. Of course May knew that she was deliberately being taken advantage of; after all she was one of the most intelligent students in the school. She knew what she was doing was wrong and even academically dishonest. But it's not that she wouldn't tell them to do their own work, it's just that she _couldn't_. Whenever someone approached her and handed her a worksheet for her to complete, she accepted it automatically and without a complaint. The insults and names that usually swirled around her had somewhat calmed after she started to do her peers' homework and schoolwork. There had been some sort of informal agreement: so long as May did their unwanted papers, they would spare her from any further emotional and psychological abuse.

May sighed as she watched the suburban houses of Petalburg fly past in a blur. She hated the extra work she had to do. She hated her school and the shallow, vapid teenagers that populated it. Almost immediately though, she felt ashamed. Hate was such a strong word, and hateful words led to hateful actions. May closed her eyes and calmed herself to forget the turmoil of emotions flowing through her. Her eyes fluttered open though when she suddenly remembered about the deadline. She only had three days to respond!

A shrill piercing laugh cut through her thoughts, and May turned her head in the direction of the noise. A girl was giggling hysterically in the seat beside her. The teenage girl sitting beside her whispered her something, resulting in another mass hysteria of snorts and sniggers. May felt a sudden built up rage in her and she clenched her fists in anger. But the fury gradually ebbed away into a hollow, empty feeling inside of May.

Not for the first time, May wondered what it'd be like to have a friend. Now granted, she had Blaziken and her other Pokemon with her, but it wasn't the same. They couldn't comfort her the way a friend could; they couldn't give her advice like a friend could, and most importantly, she couldn't have a talk with her Pokemon without it being a one-sided conversation.

She longed for a human friend, but she knew she would never have one. Everyone despised her and only tolerated her for her intelligence. She had heard the gossip and rumors: she was the nerdy kid, the geek, the dork of the school. She was only good for doing homework and writing essays. Hanging out with her was even considered social suicide.

The bus came to a sudden halt as the vehicle arrived at its first stop. May waited for all of the other kids to fill the aisle before following them off the bus. As the yellow vehicle hissed and rumbled away, May walked slowly in the direction of her house. The thought of spending three more miserable years at Petalburg High saddened her. Her life would become a doomed cycle: school, homework, dinner, sleep. The weekends and holidays would only be filled up with more work and less time to relax.

She needed to escape. She needed to meet new people and get away from the cruel individuals who tormented her. She needed to get into the Academy.

* * *

May knew her parents were talking again in the kitchen. She tried to concentrate on her homework, but she was too nervous to accomplish anything. A fairly large Wartortle watched her worriedly on her bed. The Pokemon could sense her anxiety, but he didn't know the cause behind it.

May suddenly heard the muffled steps of someone climbing the stairs. She hastily grabbed her Pokeball and returned Wartortle to it: she wasn't allowed to release her Pokemon in her room after Blaziken accidentally burned down part of the house.

Someone knocked on her bedroom door before opening it slightly. Her mother's head poked into the room. She wore an emotionless mask. May could already feel the dismay weighing down her heart.

"Can you come down to the kitchen May?"

May pushed herself off her small office chair and followed her mother down the stairs to the kitchen. Her father was sitting at the kitchen table. He was crossing his arms. May noticed he did that often when he was annoyed or thinking intently.

May took the seat opposite her father and Caroline sat in the chair to the right of Norman. All of a sudden, Caroline flashed a small sad smile at May. But before she could make anything of it, her father spoke.

"May," he started. "Your mother and I have thought long and hard about this, and we've …decided to allow you to travel to Saffron City to continue your studies at the Academy there."

May's head snapped up and she smiled in excitement. "Really?" she squeaked.

Norman chuckled and unfolded his arms to grasp Caroline's hand. "Really."

May shot up from her seat and hugged her parents awkwardly in thanks before racing up the stairs in excitement. This was it! She would be moving out of Petalburg and attending a different school: one better suited for her needs and intelligence.

She could hardly contain her excitement as she collapsed on her bed and smiled into her pillow. It was exhilarating; she had never felt such a pure kind of joy coursing through her. It made her feel weightless and carefree. And in a way, she was. She was finally being liberated from her prison and could see a new life for her in the future.

* * *

Caroline heard May's bedroom door slam shut. She sighed dejectedly.

"I'm going to miss her."

Norman raised his hand and gently stroked Caroline's cheek with the back of his fingers.

"As will I. Our baby girl is growing up. It's time to let her go."

* * *

**I've added a small description of May on my profile, if anyone wants to check it out. It's kind of like a timeline.**


	5. Chapter 5

**This chapter is really long. I don't know why it is, but it just... is. It's not even a filler, but it's got a lot of useless details. Whatever, hopefully you guys won't find it to be too boring.**

**Note: I've changed my username to BlindAvion55 so keep that in my mind.**

* * *

**Ch. 5**

**August 10th**

"Are you sure you have all your Pokemon? Did you pack everything you need: your textbooks, your homework, your toothbrush, everything? "

"Relax Mom," May said with a small sigh. "I triple checked everything."

A loud deep horn resonated, scaring several Wingulls and Pelippers. It was a warning that the ship would be departing soon. May looked around her absentmindedly. She saw the other children, her future peers, giving their goodbyes. Some parents were silently crying while others beamed with pride. Caroline gave May a sad smile as the warm sea wind blew through her hair.

"I guess this is it," she murmured. "Now don't forget that the school has arranged a transportation system to take you to the Academy."

"I know Mom," May said. "I know."

"Excuse me ma'am." An attendant cleared his throat and indicated that May needed to board the ferry. Caroline nodded and straightened.

"One moment please." She sniffled as she dug out a white envelope from her purse.

"It's from your father. He wanted to come see you off but he has his duties and responsibilities as Gym Leader." May nodded mechanically as she took the letter from her mother's trembling hand. She stroked her daughter's face tenderly before the man led May away. Caroline watched May's retreating form before forcing herself to turn around and walk back to her car.

She didn't look back because if she did, she would never let her daughter board that ship.

* * *

May was left alone in her room after the attendant made sure she was comfortable. Her room was a large and open. The ferry, in fact, belonged to the Academy and everything would be paid for. A clear sliding door across the room from the entrance revealed a small personal balcony to gaze out into the open sea. A white circular leather couch surrounded a clear glass coffee table and faced a large plasma screen television hanging from the wall. Underneath the massive screen was a white shelf holding an assortment of gadgets and devices, one of which May could recognize as a newly released DVD player. In the dining area, there was a black marble table with four black cushioned chairs bordering it. A white leather menu was propped up against a glass vase holding a light pink Mayflower, a rare flower only found in the Kanto region. May walked to the separate kitchen and opened the stainless steel fridge, revealing a large variety of sodas, fruit and vegetables. Curious, she opened all of the metal cabinets and found cooking and kitchen appliances including pots, pans, and even expensive silverware imported from Sinnoh.

_Fancy and contemporary, _May thought. _Not bad._

May opened the menu sitting on the dining table and found herself entranced by the different cuisine choices from all four regions. She could identify some famous Hoenn dishes she had seen and tried before, but couldn't recognize some of the more exotic foods from Johto and Kanto.

And everything would be paid by the Academy.

May placed the menu back in its proper position and walked through the arched entrance to the right into the neighboring room was brightly lit with what looked to be a small crystal chandelier in the middle of the ceiling along with several other lights neatly aligned. The bed itself was massive, large enough for even Blaziken to sleep comfortably on (not that she would ever allow that). The frame was made of expensive oak and was deep red in color. Intricate designs had been carved into the headboard as well as the footboard. May smiled. Although she wasn't poor, her parents weren't exactly rich either. Gym leaders' salaries weren't very high, and sometimes they had to fork over a lot of money to pay for damages to the battlefield or to winning Trainers. The luxury that came with attending the Academy could be intimidating.

May walked forward and plopped on top of the mass pile of cushions and pillows. She sank a couple of inches due to the soft mattress and several pillows fell on top of her. Something stiff and flat in her pocket made it hard for her to escape. Once she did though, May threw several pillows off the bed and reached inside her coat pocket.

It was the letter her father had written to her. Leaning against a soft plush pillow, May ripped open the envelope and pulled out the contents. Inside was a folded sheet of paper and a small Torchic charm. May smiled at the sight of the little Fire-type Pokemon and placed it on the dresser besides the bed. She unfolded the sheet of paper.

_August 8th_

_May,_

_Today was a long hard day for me. A part of me was smiling, seeing you excited and eager to go to your new school. But the other part of me was heartbroken, knowing that you've grown and you're already moving out of the house. But I can't say that I'm not happy for you dear. You haven't worn that big of a smile for such a long time. The only thing I could think of was oh please; just let that smile be forever on my daughter's face._

_Watching you grow up was like a dream. You're no longer the little girl that I can pick up and hold tight in my arms, but you've grown into a beautiful young lady that I never could have imagined. My only wish is for you to be happy and to be safe. I hope you meet a lot of interesting new people and have a wonderful time at your new school. Your mother and I will miss you dearly, but deep in our hearts, we know that this is the right thing to do. Arceus, I wish there was some way we could tell you how much we love you. _

_Dad_

* * *

**August 12th**

Unlike the luxury ferry May had rode on to Vermillion, the charter bus taking them to the school was something she was used to. But then again, it was only a two hour drive. May had been amongst the first to disembark the ship to claim a seat near the window. Eventually though, children trickled on the bus. May ignored most of them and one particularly chatty girl took the seat next to her. She then twisted her body in what seemed to be an impossible angle to talk to the girl sitting behind her.

May stared blankly out the window and watched the scenery pass by. Kanto was nice, but there wasn't as much forests and fields as there was in Hoenn. May smiled to herself at the sight of a swarm of Butterfree resting in the trees besides the road.

* * *

"Welcome to The Saffron City Academy for the Gifted and Talented!"

May's eyes snapped open and her tiredness was instantly replaced with curiosity. May straightened in her seat out as the low buzz of chatter grew to loud animated shrieks of excitement. May's eyes widened as the bus passed through the gate surrounding the campus. The apartments housing the students were enormous; they had to be at least fifteen stories high. A majority of the buildings seemed to be made of either green, red, or blue reflective glass, but May could have sworn she saw a yellow one amongst them. However it stunned May even more to see gardens and swimming pools accompanying the buildings. Several students and their Pokemon were playing in the gardens and watering the flowers. Some of them looked up at the sound of the approaching buses and waved at the new students.

The bus rumbled forward and past the Apartments only to make a sharp left, giving May the perfect view of the Academy. Although May had seen pictures of the school on the brochure, she was unprepared for the actual magnitude and scope of the facility. The Academy itself was surrounded by a tall thick stone wall, which May suspected was to keep the students in rather than out. At the base of the walls though were an assortment of shops and restaurants for the students to enjoy. May could already point out which restaurants she would visit when she got the chance. The Academy was huge. The exterior seemed to be made of pure white marble, a startling contrast to the plain red bricks May was accustomed to seeing on her old school. But what was even more surprising and stunning were the large colorful domes behind the Academy that were even visible from the front of the school. She could tell that those were the battle facilities.

The bus drove for at least another ten minutes, but it didn't matter. May could never memorize the elaborate design of the school. She knew instantly that she would get lost on her first day, even with the planned orientation for the new students.

The bus slowed and hissed to a stop at what seemed to be the West Wing of the school. The bus driver stood up and exited the bus as a different woman boarded the bus. She gave them all a large smile that slightly unnerved May.

"Welcome students, to the Saffron City Academy for the Gifted and Talented. My name is Professor Foster and I teach Advanced Pokemon Habitats at the Academy. Now please follow me so that you may receive your permanent residents and meet your new roommates."

The eager students immediately piled onto the narrow aisle and pushed and shoved as they disembarked the bus. May waited for everyone to step off the bus before doing so herself. She had to run a little to keep up with the other children.

The walls surrounding the Academy were a lot taller than she imagined. May guessed it to be close to five stories high and she ran her fingers against the smooth stone. It felt a lot like granite and limestone.

"Come along now." May's head snapped up and saw Mrs. Foster waiting for her to join the other children. She muttered her apologies as she scurried past her to the crowd of rowdy students. The steel gate creaked and closed shut after her. The thought of being trapped in the school rather than keeping any intruders out struck May again. Professor Foster climbed up a grand white staircase and disappeared into the Academy. She didn't emerge for quite some time. May craned her neck to try to guess the height of the school.

A small part of her brain reminded her that the Academy had initially been the estate for the Lord and his family of Saffron City during the Medieval Period. The massive manor was called the Jewel Fortress for its impenetrable defense and stunning decors. However the last reigning Lord was stripped of his power during the Commons' Revolution; so named because of the middle class' frustration at the oppressive government. Since then, the Jewel Fortress had been abandoned for centuries except for the occasional Bug or Flying-Type Pokemon that had wandered in. It was restored and renovated when a billionaire from Hoenn decided to buy the decaying building and convert it into a school named after him: Sir Aaron's Academy. However, after he passed away, the maintenance and upkeep required to sustain the remarkable building was too costly for the government to handle and they had no choice but to raise the admission prices to incredibly high rates. At the insistence of their constituents though, the city decided to offer financial assistance and admit potentially intelligent students. They renamed the school The Saffron City Academy for the Gifted and Talented but was simply referred to as the Academy for short. Thus only the best students and Professors were allowed to wander in the grand halls of the Academy. It was both a privilege and an honor, as no "outsiders," not even parents, were allowed within the campus. The cleaning staff, security force, and cooking crew were even composed of Pokemon and several specially selected staff members.

May shook her head and grimaced.

_This is so sad. I know the history of my school.  
_

Bored, she looked around at her future peers. The wait was making them restless, and some of the boys had resorted to pushing and shoving at each other to pass the time.

Suddenly Professor Foster reemerged and the other students quieted. She was accompanied by another man with a clear clipboard. He was short and slightly chubby. There was a bored blank expression on his face. It looked as if he was trying to suppress the urge to yawn.

"When your name is called," she said. Her voice was like clear and high. It captured all of the children's attention whether they wanted to pay attention or not. "Step forward and enter the West Wing of the Academy. Inside, you will be presented with your Identification Card, your schedule for the coming school year, and undergo other procedures to formally attend the school. You will also be shown to your Apartment and most of you will likely meet your roommates. For those of you who don't, your roommates have not arrived yet and will be doing so in the next several days. Are there any questions?"

None were voiced so the woman turned to the man besides her and nodded before retreating into the Academy. The man cleared his throat and stepped forward.

"Ayotte, Roger." A small frail looking boy was pushed forward and several of the taller boys sniggered. His footsteps were soft and feeble when he climbed the staircase to where the man was standing.

He didn't acknowledge the student as he scampered into the interiors of the Academy.

"Brown, Megan."

One by one, the students trickled into the building. Those that remained behind were either silent or whispering to their neighbors in hushed voices. May bit her lip and stared down at her shoes. Her parents had bought her new sneakers for the school year. They were shiny and red and had not yet been soiled. Strangely enough, she had found it interesting to learn that the Academy didn't require school uniforms. According to their website, they didn't want to discourage the "creativity of students and place limitations" on their dress code.

"Maple, May." May's head snapped up and she walked forward and squeezed past what children were remaining.

"Excuse me… pardon me… sorry…"

May was painfully aware of every pair of eyes staring after her as she ascended the stairs. Her new shoes were a lot noisier than she thought and the heat rose to her cheeks. She didn't like how everyone was staring at her. She could imagine herself tripping on her shoelaces and embarrassing herself even before the school year started. She was extra careful to avoid doing so.

At last though, she reached the top of the staircase and curiosity overwhelmed her. She looked behind her, not to look at the waiting students, but to gaze at the campus of her new school. The Apartments didn't seem so enormous now that she was in the Academy. But they were so colorful and shiny that they reminded her of tos a child would play with. She could see various Pokemon flying in the sky and veteran students enjoying the last days of summer in what seemed to be a Park in the left section of the campus.

"Miss Maple?" The man was staring at her emotionlessly. May gave him a nervous smile before rushing forward into the school.

_Woah,_ May thought. The West Wing of the school was enormous. It had a white dome-shaped ceiling with several clear panes of glass to allow light in. There were small sitting areas with large television screens and long brown leather couches for students to sit before and after classes. May instantly liked the large water fountain of a Milotic in the middle of the lobby. Before it were a series of white plastic collapsible tables. There were at least half a dozen of these stations in which two men sat behind each table. Each one had a silver laptop before them. However each man to the left had a small printer machine on his right while the one to the right had what looked to be a miniature Pokemon Registration Machine to his left.

May scanned the room and found a station with no students occupying the officials' attentions.

"Your name?" The man to the left asked as May approached.

"May Maple." The man typed it into the laptop and clicked around before looking up.

"Your Apartment is the Totodile Building on the East side of the school and…" The official typed again on the laptop and a small plastic card popped out from the side. The man plucked it out and handed it to May.

"Please verify that all the information is correct and up to date."

May glanced at the Identification Card. Her smiling picture was printed on the right side of the card. She frowned at the sight of it and her eyes quickly darted away. Her name, birth date, grade, and an ID number were printed on the left in small black print. The Saffron City Academy for the Gifted and Talented was printed in small golden letters on the right corner of the card along with a tiny sprite of a Totodile.

"It's right," May said as she handed the card back to the official. He nodded again and stuck the card back in the little slot in the laptop and it ate the little white card.

"Alright then," he said as he typed again on his laptop. The machine spat out the card again and the official handed it over to May again. "Don't lose your Identification Card. You'll need it to enter your Apartment and Room and buy meals from the school and other school-related material. You'll also need it if you want to participate in school-funded activities such as dances or socials. But you don't need your ID card for the shops and restaurants located on the outer perimeter of the Academy itself. Do you have any questions?"

May shook her head and the man typed something into his laptop yet again. The printer whirred to life and the man swiped it from the machine before handing it to May.

"This is your schedule for the school year," he explained. "If you have any questions or concerns about it, you can visit a counselor to talk about it or arrange for a transfer of classes. All new students are to attend a mandatory orientation on the 14th; that's two days from now. Meet here in the Western Wing of the Academy at eight in the morning. Transportation can be provided if you don't have any means of reaching here. Do you have any questions?"

Again, May shook her head and the man indicated for her to step aside to the right as he asked for the name of the next student.

"May I see your ID card?" he asked. May handed it to him and he inserted the card into the laptop before typing something into it.

"Your current Pokemon Party has a Blaziken, Wartortle, and Venusaur, correct?"

May nodded and the man typed in his laptop. "Please place your Pokeballs into the registration machine so that the Academy may properly validate your Pokemon. This is merely a security precaution should any of your Pokemon be stolen or lost."

_Lose my Pokemon?_ May thought in astonishment as she unhooked the three Pokeballs from her waist. She dropped them into the Pokemon Registration Machine and the man closed the hatch on the device. He stood up to press a green button and sat back down to type again on his laptop. Eventually the machine opened again and the man fished out the three Pokeballs.

"Here you are," he said, dumping the Pokeballs into May's palm. "If you capture or release any Pokemon, be sure to notify the Academy right away so that we can change your records. Any questions?"

May clasped her Pokeballs back on her belt and folded her schedule in half and jammed the paper and her ID card into her pocket.

"Where should I go now?" she asked. The man held out his left arm and directed May to a separate way to and from the West Wing. May thanked the man and walked towards the open arched doorway. The door, she noticed, was made of heavy Johto Rosewood, a rare tree that only grew in the Ilex Forest.

_It's even sadder that I know the _wood_ the doors are made of here, _May thought to herself as she bounded down the tall marble staircase. She noticed groups of people at the base of the stairs waving colorful banners or signs. They were shouting something, but she couldn't make it out from where she was.

_They should install some escalators, _May thought as her foot finally hit the hard cobblestone courtyard.

"Over here if you're in the Treecko Building!"

"Calling all Charmanders!"

"Gather round if you're going to be in the Chimchar Apartments!"

May found where the Totodile buildings tenants were gathered with relative ease. It helped that beside a person with a light blue Totodile t-shirt on was a Totodile itself, dancing wildly on her hind legs and trying to wave a heavy sign of herself.

"Hey there," the girl greeted her. She had long blond hair tied back in a ponytail with light blue eyes that matched her shirt. May noticed that she was around her age. "You in the Totodile Building?"

May nodded. "Do you work here? You seem a little young," she blurted out before thinking.

The girl smiled and the Totodile dropped the sign and leapt on her shoulders to affectionately nibble her head.

"I'm a student here," she explained as she pried open Totodile's jaws. "I volunteered to show the new kids all the perks of our Apartment. This here is Ronda, our mascot." The Totodile grinned cheekily and shot a Water Gun high into the air, showering May and a nearby Cyndaquil who recoiled at the cold water. The girl smiled and patted her on the head.

"She lives in the building with us," the girl explained. "Everyone around the building take turns taking care of her and occasionally taking her out to play and battle. Be careful when it's your turn though. Ronda here likes to mess around."

"Toto, Toto, Totodile!" The Big Jaw Pokemon sniggered to herself before leaping off of the girl's shoulder. She picked up the sign and began to wave the sign wildly again.

The girl introduced herself has Julie. She explained to May that this would be her third year at the school and that she couldn't wait. "Every year is full of surprises," she told her before moving on to greet the other new students.

Registrations ended fairly quickly and Professor Foster reappeared again. "The student volunteers will lead you to your new Apartment now," she said. "They will inform you of your Room number and any rules that apply to your specific Apartment. Those belonging to the Apartments with Pokemon originating from Kanto and Johto will exit first."

"That's us," Julie announced and Ronda leapt on her head lugging around the sign. May and the other students followed her toward the steel gate at the front of the school, the main entrance and exit. A security guard was guarding the entrance with a Houndoom.

"Hey Richard!" Julie exclaimed as she high-fived him. The man chuckled and eyed the group of new students trailing after her. "In the Totodile Building huh? You kids enjoy break while you can. No hooky or mischief making is tolerated at this school."

"Relax Richard," said Julie. "I'll make sure they don't get into any trouble. It's good to see you Houndoom!" The Pokemon barked in greeting and sniffed in the direction of the new kids.

"He's just getting your scent," Julie explained as Houndoom circled around the huddled students. "Security is tight so he's familiarizing with who you are to make sure that no one who isn't a student or a Professor is allowed in."

Houndoom straightened and with his head held high, he walked back to Richard before barking in confirmation. Richard smiled and patted the Dark and Fire-type Pokemon on the head. "You're good to go," he said. "See you guys back for orientation. You get to go through the main entrance this time."

Someone behind May muttered a "Yippee" as they stalked forward after Julie. In front of the school was a large dusty field to separate the school from the Apartments. It also served as the main road and sidewalk for students to travel around campus and walk around to see the restaurants and shops. Julie pointed out where the Park was (a student favorite) and some popular restaurants and eateries.

Once they crossed the great dirt-laded road, the environment and atmosphere changed. It was more relax and subdued and felt more like home. Here the roads were actually paved with gravel and there were even streetlights dotting the path. Each Apartment was separated by a tall steel gate to mark the property lines. In front of each building was a large grassy lawn with several metal benches lined along a stone path. The sidewalk led straight to a statue and circled around it before traveling to the front entrance. Each statue was different for each Apartment. They depended solely on the building and the mascot. The Turtwig Apartment had a stone Turtwig sculpture with green ivy and leaves wrapped around it and the pedestal. On the other side of the street though was the Chimchar Apartment with a shiny silver statue of the mascot Pokemon spewing out a thin stream of flame into the air. Beside the Chimchar Apartment was, of course, the Piplup Apartment with a water fountain of the proud Pokemon dancing in the water.

May watched as a Teddiursa and Igglybuff ran out from the Turtwig Apartment and chased each other in the front lawn. Their Trainer burst out of the Apartment and scooped up both Pokemon in her arms before taking them back inside.

"The Apartments are arranged from the Pokemon from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, to Sinnoh; so basically from the lowest to highest National Pokedex number," Julie informed them. "Pokemon from Kanto are closest to the border of campus while Pokemon from Sinnoh are closest to the Academy. We also have a Pikachu, Eevee, Umbreon, and Espeon Apartment in their specific regions. So in total there are sixteen Apartments to house all of the students."

"Are we allowed to go into the other Apartments?" One student asked as they passed by the Mudkip Apartment.

"Not without permission from someone who actually lives in one of them," Julie said. "You can't even get in because your ID card is registered under the Totodile Apartment."

Some students groaned in dismay. Julie smiled and turned to face them. "You won't even want to go into the other Apartments. Wait till you see what's in ours."

At last they reached the Totodile Apartment. Lounging on one of the benches was a sleeping Riolu. A boy was sitting beside him, reading a novel.

"Hey Henry," Julie greeted. The student looked up in alarm and his glasses slid down his nose. He pushed them back up with his index finger and smiled.

"Hi Julie," he said. "What are you doing?"

"What's it look like?" She waved her hand in May and the other kid's direction.

"Ah," he said as he looked back down at his book. "New kids. I thought they came in yesterday."

"Yeah," said Julie. "They were from Sinnoh though. These guys are from Hoenn."

"Good to know," Henry said distractedly. Julie shook her head and beckoned for the students to follow her.

The outer wall of the Apartment was made of the reflected blue glass, but May suspected that it was because the windows were a one way looking glass from the inside. Julie pointed out the private garden for them and a private pool behind the Apartment as well.

"Unless you're living here, you can't access the pool," Julie explained. "You guys are lucky. We have one of the only pools with a water slide and diving board that was just recently installed."

The kids behind May whispered and murmured in excitement as Julie scanned her ID card against the sensor. The heavy door unlocked and clicked open. She held it open and ushered students in.

"Welcome to the Totodile Apartment."

A chorus of wow's and whoas escaped from several of the student's mouths. May had to agree with them though. The lobby of the Apartment was stunning. Real shells and colorful fragments of coral had been embedded into the lower part of the wall while paintings of ships and Water Pokemon hung on the upper part. May followed some of the other kids' gazes and looked up at the ceiling. The ceiling was painted with dark blue but it cast off some sort of silver sheen that twisted and spiraled to mimic water waves. Straight ahead was a pair of elevators with pink and light blue coral surrounding the metal doors. There were billiard tables on the right side of the lobby and the felt covering them matched the light ocean blue paint on the walls. Even the lamps hanging above them looked as if came from deep within the ocean. A boy and girl were playing at one of them and talking casually. Arcade games were against the right wall. Several boys were gathered around a Space Deoxys! and shouting and hooting in encouragement.

Beside the games was an opening to lead to a lounge that streamed movies every Friday and Saturday night. According to Julie, the Academy didn't approve of showing late night movies on school nights. The lamps mounted on the wall were shaded by large pink shells and gave off a soft yellow glow. May thought the lobby had the perfect ambiance: it wasn't too dark for a place to hang out, but there wasn't so much light so as to ruin the illusion of being underwater. She turned around to look out the building to see Henry bent over his book outside. She was right.

But what surprised May the most was the small eating area on the left side of the lobby. Built into the wall was a bar counter that made May smile. They obviously didn't serve any alcohol, but it was fun because it made her feel more mature and older. The counter was made of clear glass that changed different colors every so often. Wine glasses hung from above and there was even a fish tank behind the bartender with colorful small fish and sea plants. A man, or "bartender," behind the counter was preparing to make a smoothie for a student. He was smiling and laughing at what she was telling him as he dumped the fruit into the blender.

Ronda hopped off of Julia's shoulder, dropped the sign she so dutifully carried, and scrambled over to the small corner of the lobby where there was an elevated platform. On it was a small plush bed along with a miniature pool just for her use. Ronda dived into the water and splashed around merrily before floating on the water. From her view, the Pokemon could see everything from the noisy boys yelling at the arcade machines to the entrance of the Apartment.

"Come this way," Julie said over the noise. She picked up the sign Ronda dropped and led the new students to the man. He was perhaps the only other man allowed in the Apartment besides maintenance and cleaning.

"Hugo!"

The man turned at the sound of his name and smiled at Julie. He held up a finger to indicate for her to wait as he mixed together a small smoothie. He shut off the device as he whirled around and grabbed a glass mug. He filled it to the brim with the drink and stuck a straw along with a small yellow paper umbrella into the liquid.

He handed it over to the girl along with a light blue napkin.

"I hope you don't wind up with Professor Chase again then," he chuckled as he wiped the glass counter with a white rag.

The girl rolled her eyes and sipped some of the drink. "I hope so too. Thanks again Hugo." She hopped off the barstool and walked away with her drink.

"Ahh, hello kids I've never seen before," Hugo cried, giving them a big smile. "You need their Rooms?"

Julie nodded and Hugo fished out a clipboard from underneath his counter and gave it to her. She plopped herself on a pink and blue bar stool and scanned the paper.

"When I call your name," Julie said. "Get over here and I'll tell you your room number." May was suddenly reminded of the short impassive man at the top of the staircase leading into the West Wing.

"Parks, Sarah?"

May twisted around and watched the girl and boy play pool together. They weren't very good, but they seemed to be having a fun time. The other girl with the smoothie walked up to them and told them something. They laughed in response and began to play again. May watched them with a sort of fascination. Would it be like that when she had a friend to laugh with?

"Maple, May?" May tore her head away from the group of friends and this time walked around the group of students to reach Julie.

"You're in Room 7C," said Julie. "You're lucky: the higher levels have great views of Saffron City, especially at night. You can head straight up now. The Machoke team should have dropped your luggage in there by now."

May thanked Julie and walked over to the elevators. While she waited for one, she watched Ronda splash about in her tiny pool. The Pokemon noticed her and grinned cheekily before squirting a small jet of water at her. May had anticipated it would do something like that and she stepped off to the side. It turns out though that Ronda had been aiming to miss and by side stepping, May put herself directly in the line of fire.

It wasn't a lot of water, but her favorite red shirt was wet. Ronda chuckled mischievously to herself. May could hear the kids behind her trying to stifle their laughter. Had the lobby always been this warm?

The elevator mercifully arrived and May quickly stepped in with another student. She meekly pressed the button for the seventh floor while the other student pressed for the fourth. The elevator doors slid shut. It was eerily quiet, a startling contrast from the noise and chaos in the lobby.

Quiet peaceful music flooded the small chamber. May, as always, couldn't help but look around her. But the elevator walls were lined with mirrors and May could see how terrible she looked with her wet hair and shirt. She passed the time by staring at her red shoes. They weren't as shiny as before though.

The boy got off on the fourth floor, leaving May alone. The elevator soon shuddered to a halt on the seventh floor and May nervously stepped out. Sunlight illuminated the long, not to mention empty, hallway from the clear window on the other end of the hall.

The rooms were marked from the last letters of the alphabet to the first, meaning May's room would be one of the furthest rooms away from the elevator and stairs. The hallway was quaint. The walls were painted with a light sea green and the paintings hanging on the wall mostly depicted of various Totodile. May particularly liked one of a Wartortle surfing on a light green surfboard. The floors were a dark cherrywood, although her footsteps were muffled by a fluffy light blue strip of carpet.

_7E…7D…7C _

The door to May's room had a golden plaque with "7C" engraved in it. She fished her ID card out of her pocket and scanned it against the small black device above the doorknob. May heard the door click open and she grabbed the doorknob. But she hesitated, nervous with meeting her new roommate.

What would she be like? Would May like her? Would she be friendly or mean? Or even worse, what if the Academy made a mistake and paired her with a boy! ? How awful that would be! And she would have to put up with him or her for the rest of her life at the Academy. May's heart hammered against her chest at the thought.

May shuddered and her grip on the doorknob tightened.

_C'mon May_, she thought to herself. She bit her lip and her eyebrows furrowed in concentration. _Stop being a wimp for once in your life… You can do it._

May steeled herself and pushed open the door.

* * *

_The hardest part of raising a child is teaching them to ride bicycles. A shaky child on a bicycle for the first time needs both support and freedom. The realization that this is what the child will always need can hit hard. ~Sloan Wilson_

* * *

**Because I'm a big jerk, I'm ending the chapter here. **

**But amuse me, ****tell me:**

**a) Who you think May's roommate will be. Use what you already know/read to try and figure this out (God, I sound like a teacher)**

**b) What you think of the Academy, the campus, the Apartments, etc.**

**And if you're really bored:  
**

**c) What May's room will be like.  
**

**Alright? List them in A, B, C ( or not, it doesn't really matter) Thanks for reading guys, especially since this chapter wasn't very exciting lol...  
**

**Damn, I sound so cynical online... I could be like the next Paul or something...  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**August 12th**

The first thing May was aware of was that it was cold. It was summer and it was _cold_. May shivered and shut the door behind her. She leaned against the solid frame as she stared at her room.

_Whoa._

May had been expecting this, and the Academy did not disappoint. The word "room" was an understatement: it was more like a very large suite. The layout of the floor was simply one vast open room. The kitchen and dining area shared one half of the room and were closest to the entrance while the living room was on the other half of the room. The change from the cherry hardwood to the soft beige carpeting marked the boundary of the sections of the room. Two white doors were across the room from each other: one was on the left wall of the living room while the other was on the right.

There was a large plasma screen television resting on a corner shelf in the left corner of the living room. Underneath it was a cabinet filled with video game systems, games, cables, and wires. The three walls were all left pure white, but the fourth one of the living room was made of solid, no doubt, reflective glass. It overlooked the surrounding forest of Saffron City as well as the city itself. May could see some of the tall sky scrapers and the massive buildings that dwarfed the one she was in now. A leather black sectionals sofa along with two individual black leather armchairs with matching foot rests. The seats faced the scenic view over a glass coffee table holding magazines, books, and three different black remote controls. Besides the sofa was a short end table holding a sculpture of a bronze Totodile. On the left side of the living room was a black wall shelf with three pale blue glass vases. Underneath was a gas fireplace with a mantelpiece made of pure white marble.

Opposite of the living room, on the right from the entrance, was the dining area. The black kitchen table was a simple with four soft blue cushioned kitchen chairs. Oran and Pecha berries were placed in a wicket basket at the center of the table. Hanging from the ceiling were three lamps. Each lamp shades were colored a different shade of blue. Underneath the table was a soft white plush carpet that stood out against the walnut floorboards present in the dining area and kitchen to May's left.

The sunlight flooding in from the large window behind the stainless steel double kitchen sink caused the spotless kitchen appliances to twinkle. The white wooden counters with sparkling black marble countertops ran against the wall. A kitchen island in the middle of the kitchen contained a large stove and oven in place while a stainless steel kitchen range hood hug above. There were even three deep blue leather egg-shaped barstools installed into the floor for seating. Adjacent to the stove was a stainless steel toaster and, much to May's surprise and delight, waffle-maker. At the corner of the kitchen was a small plasma television that could be viewed from the island.

The cabinets mounted on the wall were painted raven-black and had metal door handles and hinges. May straightened and walked towards the kitchen in curiosity. She passed by the built-in stainless steel refrigerator, oven, and microwave. She repeated the routine she had done on the ferry and opened some of the cabinet doors to find another set of pots, pans, and plastic containers.

"Having fun?"

May jumped a little and whirled around. Her hand had automatically jumped to the Pokeballs hanging from her belt.

A girl with chest-length brown hair stared at her with a small smirk of amusement on her face. She wore a light blue tank top along with a soft red skirt. Her gentle blue eyes regarded May with interest before darting to the hand hovering over her Pokeballs.

"Startled you, didn't I?" She asked. "I didn't mean to."

The girl smiled and sat in one of the barstools. She leaned against the counter.

"I'm Leaf. I'm guessing you're my new roommate, otherwise you wouldn't be here. Am I right?"

May nodded slowly and her hand fell back to her side. Leaf's smile grew wider.

"Maybe you should change your clothes. You're a little wet. The Machoke already brought your stuff in. I already took the room to the left-" Leaf pointed to the light blue door on the right. "- so that one's yours."

"Uh… right…"

May awkwardly made her way to her apparent room and quickly opened and closed the door. Her suitcases were neatly standing in the corner of the room, but May barely acknowledged them.

The room, or her room, was dark. Heavy curtains were drawn over the windows. May slowly walked up to them and pulled them back. Or at least tried to, but they refused to budge. May turned around in frustration and saw a blinking red light beside the door. After fumbling her way back, she pressed the on the light and the curtains automatically pulled themselves open. The afternoon sunlight filled her room and May stared at her room in wonder. Unlike the living room, the walls were painted a light sky blue with tiny yellow and pink seashell stickers stuck everywhere. There was a large painting of a Totodile playfully splashing a disgruntled Bulbasaur hanging on the wall and resting above the carved wooden headboard of the bed. A delicate sparkling white coral chandelier hung from the ceiling and it seemed to glow faintly from the sun. The bed was the same size as the one on the ferry, but the sheets were a deep ocean blue and the pillow covers were a light shade of pink. A crystal sculpture of a Totodile rested on top of a mahogany bedside table. Beside it was a contemporary steel bedside lamp with a pearly white lamp shade.

Across the bed was a built-in office desk along with a black and blue desk chair. The smooth desk surface was painted with blue and pink swirls while the desk lamp was made of stainless steel. Besides the desk was a tall white bookshelf for May to store her books and belongings.

Overall, it was a little much for May to handle, and she hadn't even seen the bathroom yet.

May quickly unzipped her suitcase and grabbed a random shirt. She changed her clothes and exited her room. Leaf was still sitting on the barstool, admiring her nails, when May emerged. She turned her head to see May and she smiled brightly at her.

"So where are you from?"

"Uhh, the Hoenn Region."

"Oh, really? I have a second house in Mauville City. It overlooks the main road that cuts through the city... what was it called again? I haven't been back there for ages..."

"You have an apartment on Kinsley Street?" May asked in surprise.

"No, it's not an apartment," Leaf said as she crossed her arms. "At least I don't think it is- I mean it has a small swimming pool on the roof ...and a tennis court..."

"Apartments in Kinsley Street are almost impossible to get," May said as she watched Leaf mutter to herself as she tried to remember. "There's even a waiting list of those who want to buy homes there. I mean, you'd have to be a millionaire to even afford a house..."

Leaf started to nod her head. "Yep, it was definitely a house. I remember sliding down three stories down the staircase banister and crashing into the butler."

May simply stared at Leaf, dumbfounded.

"My mom's Secretary of the Kanto Department of Defense," she explained. "And dad's the Kanto Attorney General. That would explain the house and the millionaire thing."

"So you're Aubrey and Aspen Green's daughter?" May asked, her eyes lighting up in surprise. "That's really cool. Your parents working as... wow."

Leaf nodded indifferently. "That's right. They're often too caught up in work to pay me any attention. It's one of the main reasons why they sent me here."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

Leaf shrugged. She smiled suddenly. "It doesn't matter anymore. You kind of get used to it. They tried to make it up to me by giving me my Squirtle. Well, that and the Academy is so stinking fancy and rich that it would make a Persian sick to its stomach. It's just like home."

"You have a Squirtle? I have a Squirtle too- well, I had a Squirtle, but she evolved, so I guess I don't have a Squirtle anymore... and...well... yeah."

"I don't have a Squirtle anymore either," Leaf said, ignoring May's stuttering. " His Pokeball is in my room. Do you want to go outside? I can show you him there. Only Pokemon under three feet can be allowed out of their Pokeballs in Apartment buildings. It's a school rule."

"Okay," said May. "I can show you my Wartortle too."

"Well," Leaf said as she hopped of the barstool and walked towards her room. "If we're showing off Pokemon as it is, why don't we have a battle? What do you say? Your Wartortle against my Blastoise."

"Oh, I don't know," said May. "Wartortle doesn't really like battling against his evolved forms."

"That's alright," Leaf said. "You have other Pokémon right? We can still have a battle, just without your Wartortle. Sound good?"

"Sounds great," May said with a smile. Leaf returned the smile before disappearing into her room.

* * *

"My old roommate actually graduated early. A shame really since she helped me with my homework. She was one of the smartest kids in our grade."

Leaf and May exited the Totodile Building.

"Henry, you're still out here?" Leaf asked as the two passed the boy on the bench. The Riolu had woken up and was sitting besides his Trainer, reading, or staring at, the book with him.

Henry waved his hand impatiently at Leaf without looking up from his book. "Are you serious? People have been interrupting me all day..."

Leaf shook her head and beckoned for May to follow her. "He's normally not that grumpy."

As they walked down the road past the Apartment buildings, some of the residents waved to May's new roommate.

"Hey Leaf!"

"Nice seeing you Green!"

"You still owe me that rematch Leaf!"

"No thanks," Leaf called back. "I've already beaten you twice. No more rematches!"

_Wow, Leaf must be a real tough opponent, _May thought. _Not to mention she has a lot of friends._

"So, where are we going again?" May asked.

"The park. They've got battlefields that we can have our battle on. They're not nearly as nice as the battle stadiums behind the Academy but they'll do."

"Okay, that sounds great."

Leaf turned around and gave May a weird look. "Don't act so nervous. I won't bite. We were all new to the Academy at one point."

May gave Leaf a small apologetic smile as they reached the exterior gates of the Park.

"Here we are," Leaf said. She stretched out her arms dramatically. "The famous Academy Park."

"Is there anything the Academy isn't famous for?"

Leaf hesitated for a moment. "Good question. I never really thought about it. Everything here is pretty world-class... But anyways, a lot of kids like hanging out here on nice days. It's got battlefields, a sports arena, and a really neat garden. Only students can have access to it and a special team of Grass Pokémon tend to it. "

The two walked past the gates and into the park and almost immediately, May felt like she entered a different world. The gravel road stretched tens of feet ahead to a four-way intersection. At the middle of the intersection was a large majestic stone fountain of a Lucario welding a jeweled scepter. Water sprang up from the tip of the scepter and poured down into a large stone basin. All the streets were lined with old Victorian street light poles that seemed glowed faintly because of the afternoon sun. Beside every other light pole was a long wooden bench as well as a steel contemporary trash can. Many students were sitting in them, laughing and talking amongst themselves. Large elm trees also flanked the main road, in honor of the famous researcher and professor.

A sense of peace and serenity seeped into May. The wind blew and the leaves from the trees above rustled. Somewhere, to her far left, May heard wind chimes cling to one another.

In the field to May's left, there was a Scyther and Gengar lightly sparring. A Tyrogue appeared to be perfecting a High Jump Kick while a Marill and Skitty took turns chasing each other's tails. The Pokemon's trainers were relaxing under the shade of the trees and would occasionally shout out an order. On the right field though, there was a small battle between a Jolteon and a Staraptor. May stopped and watched as Jolteon hit the Flying-type Pokrmon with a powerful close-ranged Thunderbolt. She was amazed to see the Starapor unfazed by the attack and managed to perform a perfect Brave Bird to knock out the Jolteon.

"I've never seen him before," Leaf said, who had also watched. "Maybe he's new."

" Sir Aaron's Lucario," May said as they approached the fountain. A yellow plastic Frisbee flew above her head and an enthusiastic Mightyena bounded past her to catch it.

"Sorry!"

"Yeah," Leaf responded. "Aaron was the one who started to build the park, hence the old streetlights. But he passed away before it was finished-"

"-And the project was abandoned until Dean Administer Welch decided to continue his work. The park was finally finished after an additional twelve years of renovating and replacing old and unstable structures. The students at the time also pitched in the park by building the garden you were just talking about."

"Hey," said Leaf. She smiled in amusement at May. "And I thought I was the tour guide. You really know your stuff."

"Sorry," May said. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Nah, it's cool," Leaf said. "My old roommate did the same thing. It was annoying at first, but I eventually got used to it."

The two reached the fountain and Leaf pointed out the small golden plaque at the feet of the Lucario.

"That's real gold," she said. "It's polished every second Thursday by park maintenance. The fountain itself is hundreds of years old though. It was custom built and ordered by Sir Aaron himself. I bet you knew that already though, right?"

May nodded her head sheepishly.

"Oh, you're pretty good," Leaf said. "I didn't know that until last week when my friend told me... Did you also know that the four roads also point North, South, East, and West, with the main road pointing North?"

May nodded again and Leaf snapped her fingers. "Damn it, I thought I had you on that one... Well, anyways, the battlefields are this way," Leaf said as she pointed to the road heading West.

"Alright, you ready?"

May nodded and she skimmed the sole of her shoe across the dirt terrain. Out of the whole campus, May thought that the Park's battlefields felt more casual. They were exactly like the ones from her old school. The only exception was that at each end of the battlefields were small white tents with cushioned seats as well as a solar-powered fan for those hotter days.

Leaf smirked as she unclipped a Pokeball from her belt. She gently pressed the button in the center of it before throwing it forward.

"I choose you Blastoise!"

The Shellfish Pokemon emerged from his Pokeball and roared. His gleaming black eyes twinkled menacingly.

"Then I guess you're battling," May said indifferently as she chose a Pokeball from her own belt. She tossed the red and white device high into the air. Venusaur emerged in a flash of bright light. She snorted and stomped her two front legs against the ground as the flower on her back shook.

"Saur! Saur! Venusaur!"

"So you have a Wartortle and a Venusaur. Don't suppose you're hiding a Charmander with you ?" Leaf asked.

"Something along that," May said as Leaf chuckled.

"But Just so you know May," Leaf said as the smirk on her face grew wider. "Type advantages don't mean shit. In fact, you can have the first move."

May fought to keep a smile off her face. Leaf was almost an entirely new person when it came to battling. Although it was mildly amusing, it could be pretty intimidating. So much for friendly competition.

"Razor Leaf, go!"

Green crescent-shaped leaves sliced through the air towards Blastoise.

"Use Rapid Spin!"

Blastoise's head, limbs, and cannons quickly vanished as he withdrew within his shell and began to spin at a breakneck speed. The Razor Leaf bounced uselessly off Blastoise's rock-hard shell.

"Now go!"

Still spinning at the breakneck speed and gaining momentum, Blastoise launched itself towards Venusaur.

"Take it," May said to Venusaur. The Seed Pokemon lowered her head and dug her claws into the dirt terrain as she braced herself for impact.

Blastoise slammed into Venusaur before springing away. Venusaur grunted and shook her head, but was otherwise unharmed.

"Not bad," Leaf said as Blastoise reemerged from his shell. "Let's try a Hydro Pump then."

Blastoise aimed his cannons at Venusaur and unleashed a powerful torrent of water at her.

"Quick, use Razor Leaf again!"

The green leaves collided against the jet stream of water, effectively cutting off the attack.

"Now use Vine Whip and trip him!"

"What!" Leaf exclaimed in surprise as Venusaur's vines shot out and wrapped themselves around Blastoise's ankles. The Shellfish Pokemon cried out as Venusaur yanked hard and caused him to lose his footing. Blastoise fell backwards on his shell and grunted as the still on pouring of Razor Leaves hit him square on the jaw.

"Oh, that's not good," Leaf muttered. Blastoise was still on his shell and was flailing wildly to get up.

It was May's turn to smirk. "Now use Solarbeam." The petals of Venusuar's flower began to sparkle and glow as she gathered energy from the sun.

"Hold on," Leaf said, holding up a hand. "We forfeit."

"What's wrong?" May asked in confusion.

"Blastoise and I are already beaten," Leaf said as she walked up to her Water-type Pokemon. He stopped flailing in place and his head and limbs dangled limply from the shell. It was an unusual sight. Leaf patted Blastoise's stomach in thanks before returning him to his Pokeball.

"We haven't been able to solve his landing-on-his-shell-and-not-being-able-to-get-up problem," Leaf said as May stroked Venusaur's head. "We were beaten the moment his shell hit the ground."

"Well either way your Blastoise is very powerful. He had an impressive Hydro Pump."

Leaf smiled. "Thanks. Your Venusaur is pretty good herself. I've rarely seen a Pokemon able to stand after Blastoise's Rapid Spin."

A low growl of appreciation rumbled in Venusaur's throat. May smiled in return. Not many people have ever complimented her.

"You did a good job girl," she said as the red laser captured Venusaur and sent her back to her Pokeball. "Take a break."

"Too bad I only brought Blastoise out," Leaf said wistfully. "I still want to check out your Wartortle."

"Maybe some other time," May suggested. Leaf nodded her head, agreeing with her.

"Do you want to check out that garden now?" Leaf asked as they headed back towards the intersection with Sir Aaron's Lucario. "The one the students built for the Park. It's unlike anything you've ever seen. The Grass Pokemon do an amazing job."

"Yeah," May said as she peered upward. The sun shone brightly and there was not a cloud in the sky. It was a perfect day. "I think Venusaur would like that."

Leaf smiled before grabbing May's hand. "Then let's go!"

May's roommate turned around and the smile on her face quickly melted into a scowl. She dropped May's hand and folded her arms. Her cheery demeanor had instantly vanished.

"What's wrong?" May asked in alarm. She noticed a group of girls walking towards their direction. Just one look at them and May knew that they were the reason for Leaf's sour attitude.

It could be the way their hair fell perfectly on their shoulders. It could be the way they walked, with their hips elegantly swaying. It could be their clothes, the designer tank tops and jeans that May knew she could never afford. It could be the way they held their heads high and scoffed at those who passed by them. It could be all these reasons that made May feel intimidated by these three girls. And to make matters worse, they had zeroed in on her and her roommate.

"Green," one of the girls said as she trained her gray eyes on Leaf.

"Ryder," Leaf spat. Her voice was equally as bitter.

The two stared at each other angrily, daring the other to make the first move. May eyed the two nervously and bit her lip.

"C'mon May," Leaf huffed as she grabbed May's arm harshly. "Let's go."

Ryder or her friends didn't make any attempt to stop the two, but a set of eyes continued to bore into Leaf's retreating back. Once they had made it back to the Lucario fountain, Leaf relaxed.

"Stupid Ryder," she grumbled angrily to herself. "No good, stuck-up, retarded bitch..."

"Is she really that bad?" May wondered aloud.

"You've no idea," said Leaf as she shook her head. "But you don't need to worry about her. She generally doesn't touch any of my friends, only me."

May blinked several times and had to concentrate to stop from smiling. She had a friend? Yes, it sounded stupid and sad, but she had never felt such a warm feeling in her heart. _She had a friend._

"So, how about that garden?" Leaf said, already reenergized.

"Yeah, let's check it out," May said. Leaf nodded. The two passed the Lucario fountain and ducked as a red rubber ball flew over their heads. A Houndour and Growlithe raced each other to catch it.


	7. Chapter 7

The next day, Leaf showed May the various shops and restaurants at the base of the great wall surrounding Jewel Fortress. She introduced May to Bernie's, a newly opened frozen yogurt stand with over thirty different toppings. She told May she could buy textbooks and DVD's at Rotum's. She led May down to a popular bistro where the owner, who knew Leaf very well, served them free ice cream sodas. Leaf also pointed out the four-story Pokémon Center as well as the three-story Pokemart and how Nurse Joy had over twenty Chansey to help her out.

"You don't even have to wait long," she said. "Even if your Pokémon are badly hurt, it'll only take an hour or two at most."

The day after though was orientation, and since Leaf already attended the school, she had no need to be present at it. This left May very nervous, as she had come to rely heavily on Leaf's presence to keep her anxiety-free.

_It's only for a couple of hours,_ May thought that night. _You'll do fine, and who knows, you might meet someone new..._

* * *

**August 14th**

May had woken up earlier than necessary and ultimately decided to walk back to the Academy. She grabbed her ID, schedule and her Pokemon and stuffed them all into a new belt pack her mother had given to her. The morning air was crisp, and although it was early in the morning, there were some students walking around the campus.

It was impossible to get lost, as all May had to do was march towards the large and intimidating castle up ahead. But it was still quite a walk, and by the time she reached the front gates, she was no longer early to orientation. The steel gates were wide open and students flocked in with Richard and his Houndoom surveying them closely.

Although May had prepared herself for this, she was still stunned a bit by the main entrance. Much like the East Wing, the ceiling was dome shaped. A large circular pane of stained glass depicted a Lucario forming an Aura Sphere between his paws. Surrounding it were smaller panes of glass with Legendary Pokemon from the Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh Regions. The bright colors were incredible that even Lucario's Aura Sphere looked like it was glowing.

The Main Entrance was about the same size as the East Wing, but the interior decoration was what really separated them. The decorations from the centuries had never been removed, so even the oldest statues and oldest paintings still remained. They had all been restored and were just as beautiful as when they were first created. Of course, they were all protected, but no one, not even the most juvenile delinquent, would ever think of destroying pieces of art so treasured and valuable. But even so, the Academy took precautions and even stored more beaten down paintings in the school's basement, the former dungeons.

Polished suits of armor guarded the entrances to the Main Hall, which was now the cafeteria. May could recognize several priceless paintings hanging around the hall. The lighting from the silver wall candelabras cast a white glare on the obvious attack-proof glass protecting each one of the art. She just realized how the Academy itself was a work of art, a unique treasure even.

"Hey, are you lost?"

May turned her head to see a skinny young boy looking at her with large green curious eyes. He had a thick pair glasses resting on the bridge of his nose and his eyebrow perked as he reiterated his question.

"Are you lost?"

"I don't think so," May responded as she dug in her belt pack for her crumpled schedule. "But could you tell me where Classroom 273 is anyways? "

The boy pointed to a nearby stairwell and gave May a long set of directions, which May managed to easily memorize. In contrast to her initial thought, the Academy was fairly easy to navigate through. There were paper signs indicating the directions where classrooms were along. Although she encountered several lost students, she never shared their confusion.

May was the first to enter her class, Pokemon Biology, and chose a seat in the very back of the room.

The class, unlike the Main Entrance, was illuminated by fluorescent lights overhead. It was a little bigger than the classrooms she was used to, but it wasn't unreasonable. Posters of different Pokemon species covered the walls where cupboards and counters didn't. Built into the front desk of the class was a large silver circular object with different buttons which May instantly recognized as a holographic projector. Instead of blackboards or whiteboards, there was a large clear interactive board which acted like a giant touch screen with specially designed pens. What was really surprising though was that there were the same round silver holographic projectors in the upper left corner of each desk in the room. They were considerably smaller though.

When the school bell rang to indicate the start of orientation, she was the only one in the room. May frowned and looked back at her schedule to confirm she was in the right room.

"Not bad." May's head snapped up to see an old, balding man in a brown leather jacket walk in the room. "You're one of the rare students who didn't get completely lost your first day here. You'll do just fine. What's your name my dear?"

"Uhh, May Maple."

The man reached inside the front pocket of his jacket and pulled out thin wired spectacles. He put them on and absentmindedly placed his hand on the interactive board. When he withdrew his hand, a yellow handprint remained. A strange mechanical voice resonated through the room.

"Good morning Professor Keon. The time is now 7:27 AM."

"Class list please. Search for May Maple and mark her present," Profesor Keon said as he looked through the drawers of the front desk.

"Searching... searching... One 'May Maple' detected." The interactive board scrolled down a list of names and paused at May's name. The text was enlarged and highlighted yellow. A check mark appeared beside her name.

_Woah._

"Miss Maple," Keon said as he looked up. He pulled out a large stack of papers from the drawer and began to look through and sort them. "I suggest you sit in the front row before the other students arrive."

The Professor began to make small individual piles from the larger one. May stood up and moved to the front of her row before other students walked in. The room immediately became much noisier as they took their spots and began to chat with their neighbors. Most of them chose seats in the very back of the room.

Keon ignored them as he finished with the papers and used a paper clip to keep them together. More students poured into the room and the room grew even louder. Soon, the whole class was filled save for one seat beside May.

"Quiet down now," Keon said as he finally acknowledged the teenagers in his room. The chatter died down until there were only a few whispers in the class.

"My name is Professor Keon," he said in a loud, almost bored voice. "I teach Pokemon Biology, of course, but I'm also head of the Science Department here at the Saffron City Academy for the Gifted and Talented. So even when you are not my student and you are not in my class, I'll be the one who decides what science classes you take or don't take. So don't make me hate you."

Keon looked around the room for a while before continuing. "Now... let's play a little game. It's called 'The Back Row Becomes the Front Row.'" He pointed to those in the back row before pointing to the front desks. "Now."

There were grumbles and muttering among the students as those in the front row switched seats with those in the back. May got up and moved back to her old seat again.

"Excellent," Keon said as a girl suddenly burst into the classroom. She had dark blue hair that flowed past her shoulder and equally dark blue eyes. She wore a pink skirt that only reached her thighs and a black tank top. A pink scarf was wrapped around her neck even though it was August and it was blazing hot outside. But even without the skimpy clothing, she was very beautiful.

"You're late," the professor said as he watched the girl collapse into the only empty seat in the class: the one in the back with May. "Not to mention you interrupted me while I was addressing the class. Take note of this students: I will not tolerate anyone who cuts me off when I speak. Do you understand?"

"I understand. Sorry sir," the girl muttered as Keon picked up one of the piles on his desk.

"Mark everyone in the room present," he told the board as he walked around his desk and dropped the pile onto the desk of a startled boy in the front row. "Thank you for volunteering to pass those out."

For the rest of class, Keon explained what they would be learning and what school materials would be needed for class. He also handed out biology textbooks that were heavier and bigger than May had ever seen. He also warned them that if any of them tampered with the holographic projector on their desks, he would personally see to it that they would be kicked out of the Academy and would have to pay triple of the original price. He then pulled up a life-sized Tyranitar- the school mascot, by the way- on the holographic projector on his desk and even made it roar to the whole class. The details were so precise and colors so vivid that May would have mistaken it to be real if she didn't know any better.

The bell soon rang again, signaling the end of first period. Some of the students practically ran out of the room, not wanting to be late to their next class.

May got up slowly and was looking at her schedule when the girl next to her, the one late to class, tapped her shoulder.

"Hey, do you happen to know where room 334 is?"

May shook her head. "But that's my next class too... Do you want to go together?"

The girl nodded her head and smiled brightly. "Sure! My name is Dawn by the way."

"May."

"That Keon sure is grouchy," she muttered as they walked out of the classroom. "Chewing me out on orientation day."

"I don't know," May said. "He was pretty nice to me." She thought back to when Keon advised her to sit in the front, only to switch the seating so that she could sit where she wanted to.

"I hope he doesn't play favorites then," Dawn said as she shifted her textbook in her arm. After asking for directions, May and Dawn found it easily. They were the first two to arrive to their Pokemon World History.

May quickly discovered that Dawn had a very upbeat and chatty personality, which was fine with her since she preferred to listen anyways. Dawn told May how her mother had recently won the Sinnoh Grand Festival. With the money from the contest, as well as numerous endorsements and sponsors, her mom sent her to the Academy.

"I'm studying to be a coordinator," she said with a smile. "But if that doesn't work out, I could always go into the fashion business. Either way, the Academy is the best place to mastering both. Well, it's the best place for everything actually."

* * *

A frail-looking, skinny boy walked through the vast hallways of the Academy with his arms piled high with textbooks. He wore a crisp white polo shirt along with navy blue pants and his black shoes made hollow echoing clacks in the empty hallways. The bright green eyes hiding behind his glasses complemented his honey blond hair. He walked through the halls quickly as his arms wobbled slightly from the uncomfortable weight.

He turned the corner of the hall, and slammed into something hard. The next thing he knew, the boy was knocked backwards onto the floor and the heavy books rained on top of him.

"What the hell man?"

The boy groaned as he blinked several times. His glasses were missing. He patted the ground around him as he tried to feel for them.

"You son of a bitch," someone snarled. The boy yelped as he was suddenly lifted into the air by the front of his shirt. He cried out as he was slammed harshly against the wall.

"I-I'm sorry!" His feet kicked out instinctively, desperate for solid ground. Though his vision was blurred, he could make out a fuzzy image of a red-faced teenage boy glaring daggers at him. He instantly could tell that this would be a painful ordeal.

"You stupid piece of shit, what's your problem?"

"It-It was an accident," the boy whimpered. His heart hammered wildly against his chest. He wouldn't have been surprised if the enraged beast before him could smell the fear rolling in waves off of him. "I'm sorry!"

"No, you're not," the teenager breathed. "But you will be."

The teenager dropped him and the boy crumpled to the ground. He didn't have much time to recover until the kicking and punching started. The boy hadn't even noticed that there had been others with the teenager until now. He covered his head with his arms and curled into a tight ball. He squealed and cried out when his assailants managed to land particularly painful blows. Someone kicked him harshly in the chin and his teeth sank into his lower lip. Blood flowed instantly and tears sprang up.

"Get the hell away from him."

The chuckling and jeering died down as the expressions of maniac glee were wiped from their faces. The boy hesitantly looked up and squinted his eyes to get a better look of the situation. His savior stomped over and placed himself between the boy and his attackers. He wore a red jacket with white leather sleeves and casual blue jeans.

The bullies quickly overcame their shock though, and the leader of the pack sneered at the boy. "Brothers huh?" He growled. "You got lucky bitch. I'll finish you off the next time we meet."

The two boys weren't only brothers, they were twins. Identical twins, to be exact, but it wasn't difficult to tell them apart. Although both boys had the exact same shade of hair, not to mention style, eye color, and physical attributes, they were complete opposites. Jason, with his heavy dark framed spectacles and scrawny frame, was the more quiet and secluded twin. His brother, Eason, was more athletic and popular, and it showed. Although he was older than Jason by only seven minutes, people often mistook Eason to be three years older than his real age.

Eason scowled and his green eyes narrowed in anger. "Lay one finger on him," he said barely above a whisper. "And I'll rip you to shreds."

"I'm so sure," the head bully laughed, although the chuckle sounded weak. His cronies followed his lead and laughed stupidly with him.

"Listen kid," the boy said as he crossed his bulky arms. He glowered down at the teenager, who was a head shorter than him. "I don't know who you think you are, but this isn't some kiddies' playground like you're used to. There are bigger Arcanine here that aren't afraid of pummeling your sorry ass, so scram."

The boy shrugged indifferently and left without protesting. His friends followed him. But even through his blurry vision, Jason could see the venomous glare he shot at him.

Jason swallowed thickly and wiped the blood from his mouth. He slowly began to pick up his books. Eason disappeared for a second and returned with Jason's glasses. The boy took the glasses with trembling hands and nearly poked his eye with the temple.

"Hey Jae, you alright?" Eason's demeanor changed instantly and he smiled sympathetically at his twin. "They didn't rough you up too badly right? What are you doing here anyways? The Academy is swarming with newbies, you know that."

"I just- just came to drop off some extra textbooks f-for the... uhh..."

"You okay?" Eason asked."You shouldn't have come without me. I could have helped you."

"I can handle myself!" Jason cried out as his voice cracked. He looked down embarrassingly as his cheeks flushed red.

His voice was significantly lowered. "I can handle myself."

"I never said you couldn't," Eason said, surprised. His twin was rarely aggravated, but it was obvious he was now.

"I-I know," Jason said as he piled his books and textbooks into his arms. "But I don't ... I don't need help handling people like him. I don't need you to stick up for me."

Jason started to get up, but the weight of the books caused his arms to shake. The books would have spilled to the floor if Eason hadn't reached over and snatched away the heavy texts.

"Jae, look at yourself. You look like hell."

Jason ran his hand through his hair and tried to straighten the mess. He scampered after Eason who had started walking down the hall. He would never admit it, but he was always glad when Eason came along to stop the beatings. But it made him feel guilty, even burdened, whenever he did.

"I do not," he protested as he made a feeble attempt to reach his books. Eason simply shifted them to rest on his shoulder, out of Jason's reach.

The younger twin clicked his tongue in annoyance. How was it that they were identical twins, the exact copy of DNA and genes, and yet Eason managed to grow a foot taller than him? Not to mention being able to lift heavier weights, run longer, throw further...

Eason turned around and bent down to look Jason in the eye. "Look at yourself. I think you need to clean yourself up."

"Don't do that," Jason muttered as he stubbornly looked the other way. "You know I hate it when you do that."

"I wouldn't do it if you'd listen to me in the first place," Eason said as he straightened and began walking again. "I'll help drop these books at ... wherever you were taking them and then I'll take you to Aaron's Diner for lunch. How does that sound?"

"Alright," Jason sighed again as he followed Eason. It was hard to believe that they were actually twins. Eason acted more like an older brother if anything. Well, technically he was older, but only by seven minutes. That didn't matter so much... right?

After dropping off the extra textbooks for Professor Keon, the two made their way back to the front entrance of the Academy. It took some time, even when they knew the school like the back of their hand, so Eason told Jason how he was thinking of joining the school's Battling Club that year.

"I think I have shot now that Gabite evolved into Garchomp. Speaking of which, how's Gible?"

Jason internally groaned at the mention of the Pokémon. His first Pokemon, given to him by his parents almost five years ago, had still yet to evolve. Eason had no problem training his own Gible to Gabite, and now that it had evolved into a fully grown Garchomp, Jason felt so much worse. He just didn't understand it. Both Pokemon came from the same parents and only hatched a couple of months apart. It could have been their personalities: Eason's Gible was very serious and was born strong while Jason's timid Pokemon had little power. But even so, Jason had trained with him for years now, and though he steadily grew more powerful, he still hadn't evolved.

"He's...uhh... doing great, as usual."

"Don't worry Jae," Eason said as he playfully punched his brother. Jason drew a sharp breath as his sore body responded to the blow. "He'll evolve soon enough. You'll see."

"Easy for you to say," Jason grumbled. By now, the bruises and broken skin were beginning to settle in and Jason cringed with each step he took.

"You okay?" Eason asked as he perked an eyebrow.

Jason flinched as a sharp pain shot through his torso. "Yeah, let's just get to Aaron's."

"Are you sure? We could always go back and rest for a bit."

"No, let's just go."

"Hey!"

The twins turned around to see a girl with brown hair running up to them. Jason instantly recognized her from this morning.

"Sorry to bother you," she said as she finally caught up to them. "But could you please tell us where... Room 257 is?"

"It's the other way actually," Jason said as he pointed down the hall. "There should be a staircase at the end of the hall. Go up to the 2nd level, take a left until you reach the second intersection, then take a right when you see a painting of an Infernape, and it should be the third room on your right."

The girl nodded and smiled. "Okay, thanks a lot." She turned around and walked up to another girl with dark blue hair. The girl looked back at Jason and smiled at him. Almost instantly, his heartbeat accelerated and his glasses slightly slid down his nose. His green eyes widened in surprise and he stared at her as she walked away with her friend.

"Who was that Jae?" He faintly heard his brother calling out to him.

"Uhh, just a girl I -I helped out... this... this morning..."

"What are you looking..?" Eason followed Jason's gaze and grinned cheekily.

"Oh I get it," Eason said as he whirled Jason around and started pushing him forward by his shoulders.

Jason blinked several times before digging his heels against the slick laminated wooden floors. "Hey, hey, stop it Eason! What are you doing?"

Eason abruptly stopped and the younger twin nearly lost his balance. He would have fell against the floor if Eason hadn't grabbed him by the cuff of his shirt and pulled him upright.

"You like her," Eason said as Jason straghtened before he tried to quicken his pace. "The girl with the blue hair."

"N-no, I don't," he stammered as he felt his cheeks heated. "I don't even know her name, okay? I don't- I don't like her."

Jason nervously glanced at his brother before his eyes darted back ahead. He had seen his brother's mischievous grin and cringed a little.

"I don't blame you Jae. She's really pretty."

"She is, isn't she?" He asked absentmindedly before he wiped the smile off his face. "I mean- I mean... she's alright..." He sighed as he ran another hand through his hair. The two had reached the main entrance of the Academy. "She deserves better."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Eason said as he patted Jason's shoulder. Jason's eyes slightly widened as his whole skeleton frame seemed to rattle. "Who knows? You might have a class with her."

"I'm taking advanced classes that are designed for students who are two grades ahead of me."

"Well, you can tutor her then. Don't give up hope just yet. In fact, I'll give you a few pointers on how you can ask her out..."

* * *

_We sometimes encounter people, even perfect strangers, who begin to interest us at first sight, somehow suddenly, all at once, before a word has been spoken. ~_Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Crime and Punishment


	8. Chapter 8

The rest of orientation had went along smoothly for May. She only had three classes with Dawn, but that was fine. She had strict teachers such as Keon, but she also met nicer ones like Professor Holt, an expert in Pokemon Nutrition. There were only several new students like her in her Advanced Calculus class as well as her Physical Education class. The Academy had automatically placed her in a gym class designed for students skilled in battling. The teacher had dragged her and another girl into a small battle, in which they only had ten moves to incapacitate their opponent. May used Wartortle while her opponent used a Drowzee. The Psychic-type Pokemon almost immediately put Wartortle to sleep before knocking him out with a powerful Dream Eater.

_Ten moves? Wartortle was KO-ed in two!_

That had been the first time May felt the sting of humiliation. There were kids here who were way better than her at battling and probably other subjects. At her old school, she was always the one who came out on top. She was always the one who made top grades and won school-sponsored tournaments. But here, she wasn't exceptional. She didn't stand out. She was... she was just average.

* * *

**August 17th**

May was idly sitting on the couch in the living room with Leaf. She was skimming the pages of her biology textbook while her roommate turned on the television. The remote control in her hand blinked a faint red light every time she flipped through a channel.

"Amazing," Leaf muttered. "782 channels, and nothing to watch."

Leaf's PokeNav, which was resting on the coffee table, suddenly vibrated and the screen flashed blue. Leaf picked it up and checked who it was and began to reply to the text. After she finished, she pocketed the mobile device and turned to May.

"I'm meeting with a friend and we're going to Saffron City for the day. Do you want to come with us?"

May blinked several times as she absentmindedly replied. "I'm not sure... I don't want to impose."

"It's fine," said Leaf as she rose from her seat and disappeared into her room. When she reemerged, she carried a light brown shoulder bag and had a white hat with a red Pokéball symbol on her head.

"Let's go!" She said gleefully as she rushed over to May's side. The textbook landed on the carpeted floor with a dull thud as Leaf grabbed May's wrist and hauled her to her feet.

"Woah, hey!" May tried to protest but Leaf interrupted her.

"She's already there, so we're going to need to hurry. Don't want to keep her waiting too long, else wise her temper might flare a little. If you come, she'll be less likely to explode since she likes making a good first impression on people. And besides-" They had reached the elevator and Leaf jammed her free hand against the button. "It'll be fun!"

* * *

Leaf's Altaria gave them a ride to Saffron City. According to her, the Academy didn't provide any transport to the city so the students had to find other ways to get there. There was an underground parking garage, but it was fairly small and a little out of date. It used to act as the Jewel Fortress' dungeon and basement. Some of the older students were a bit creeped out and avoided the garage completely since it was rumored that it was haunted by the tortured souls of those condemned and left to rot there.

They couldn't fly into the city directly either because of security reasons so they were forced to walk for a couple of minutes. The city, like everything else for the last several days, amazed May. She had been to LaRousse before, so she was used to the moving sidewalks and metallic buildings. But Saffron City was much, much more extravagant that it was like stepping into a time machine and traveling to the future. Other cities were nowhere near the technological advanced state that Saffron was in, nor would they for probably decades to come. The buildings were enormous that they had to have hundreds of floors if not more. Not to mention they came in all different shapes and sizes. Leaf and May passed by what appeared to be a bright blue pyramidal shopping center and a large egg-shaped daycare. There wasn't a speck of grime or trash anywhere visible, even the streets were free of dirt. Trees and shrubs lined the streets (an obvious attempt of adding green and decorations to the city) but they were so out of place and abnormal that they looked plastic and fake. Older civilians on the moving sidewalks dressed sophistically and expensively. Even a florist watering plants outside her shop had a black and white halter dress and a shiny silver chain with a large diamond and sapphire pendant hanging from her neck. The teens May and Leaf passed carried an evident air of arrogance. Their families had money. They were well off. And what they wanted, they got. They regarded May with judgmental eyes but seemed to accept Leaf's style. It was as if they could spot which person wasn't one of them, didn't belong in their society, and, if given the chance, tear them apart. May decided that if the opportunity ever arose to venture into this strange city again, then she would pretend to be sick or dive into her textbooks. Anything to avoid coming to this unnatural hunk of metal of a city.

But this strange atmosphere vanished instantly once inside the Saffron Mall. It was so big and vast, with constant renovations going on and new stores popping up almost instantly, that technology had not yet made its way in here. There was simply too much going on all at once. Here, it felt more like the mall in Petalburg. There were occasionally familiar shops among the typical Kanto ones, and the same irritating and persistent salespeople that passed out flyers and coupons for their business. May relaxed a little as she looked around. It felt a little like home in a sense. So Leaf and May were content sitting at the foot of a grand bronze statue of an Alakazam at the center of the mall.

May idly turned around and looked up at the Alakazam. She could instantly tell that this was Sabrina's Alakazam. The Psychic expert gym leader was exceptionally known around the world for her ruthless and merciless tactics. The few trainers who dared to challenge her often times would suffer a devastating loss. But what was even more terrifying and awe-inspiring was her Alakazam, who frequently was with Sabrina to battle off street gangs like Team Rocket. It had done such a fantastic job of keeping the crime rate low that various statues across the city had been erected in his honor. It was a reminder to citizens, and criminals, of his heroic deeds. It was incredible that the Pokemon was immortalized in metal like this and could still radiate a sharp sense of power and authority. The posture suggested that it demanded respect and was clearly superior to everyone else. The statue's cruel and merciless eyes bore into May and seemed to stare past her and into her soul...

"Misty!" Leaf's raised voice caused May's eyes to tear away from the statue. She followed her roommates gaze and saw a young girl with an orange side ponytail waving towards them. Or rather Leaf. She wore a yellow tank top and bright blue denim shorts. May noticed, as she drew closer, that she had rare exceptionally bright sea-green eyes that stood out predominantly.

"Good to see you Leaf," the girl, or Misty, greeted once she reached them. "It's been a long time. You've grown taller since we last met."

"Gee really?" The brunette replied sarcastically. "It's only been six years..."

Misty smiled in amusement before she turned her head in May's direction. "You must be May," she said. "Leaf's told me all about you, which in hindsight wasn't a lot."

"She has?" May asked in surprise. She glanced at Leaf who gave her an encouraging nod.

"She said you were from Petalburg," Misty continued. "It's a nice place, a lot bigger than Cerulean, but not nearly as quaint."

"It's a leading metropolitan city of Hoenn," May explained. "Some drastic changes had to take place."

"Of course," Misty said, nodding. "So how do you like the Academy so far? It's a lot bigger than I expected."

"I like it," May said. "You go there too?"

"Yeah," Misty said. "This is my first year attending actually. It was not an easy process getting in."

Leaf had subtly left the two alone beside the statue, and when she returned, she had a cup of bubble tea in her hand. The three of them walked around idly, not really interested in shopping than spending time with one another. Misty revealed that her older sisters were gym leaders of the Cerulean gym. She had met Leaf years ago when she and her sisters were invited to a private gala hosted by the mayor of Cerulean city. Leaf and her parents also attended the same party when they were traveling around Kanto at the time. The two met one another and quickly got along for their similar distaste in the uncomfortable dresses they had to wear and mature atmosphere they were forced into.

The three wandered into one of the many food courts offered by the mall. Although it was packed with shoppers bustling around and trying to not drop the purchases they made, Leaf found a spot in the center of the eating area they could rest at. Leaf disappeared once more, and this time came back with arms laden with exotic foods including Octillery tentacles and fried Magikarp sticks.

"Dig in," she said with a smirk as she reached for the sandwich she had bought for herself.

"Damn Leaf," Misty said. "Have you forgotten that Ash isn't here with us?"

Leaf opened her mouth to bite down on her sandwich but stopped midway. "Oh yeah," she said, though her voice was slightly muffled. "I was so used to him hanging out with us."

May shrugged and grabbed some fries. She just realized that she had skipped breakfast and was starving. Plus, the food smelled tantalizing. Leaf and Misty watched with relative surprise and amazement as May single-handedly began to consume nearly all of the food.

"You'd get along with another friend of ours," Leaf said in amusement. May's attention was momentarily diverted by this remark. "He eats just as much as you."

May opened her mouth, about to respond to this statement, but searing pain suddenly cut through her head.

"Ow!" May dropped the fry she was about to eat and gripped her head. The pain grew tenfold and May's vision flickered before her sight was completely obliterated. For a moment she was trapped in utter darkness and she started to panic. Where had her sight gone? Was she blind? But how? The pain died down a little and her vision slowly, but surely, returned. But her vision was hazy, and she could only make out the blurred outlines of Leaf and Misty. It was like being in a dream and, for a second, she wondered whether this was reality or not. She suddenly heard their concerned voices.

"May? What happened? Are you okay?"

But the words seemed distant and made no sense. They carried no meaning and May couldn't respond to it. Then just as suddenly as it came, the pain was gone and her hearing and sight returned to normal. She heard the loud conversations all around her and the familiar sizzle and crunch of food being prepared. She could make out the vivid bright blue of the table she was staring at and the clear crisp fries scattered before her. But she couldn't shake off that uncomfortable feeling that someone was watching her intently. She looked at her hand and it trembled slightly.

Leaf and Misty were staring at her in concern. "Are you okay May?"

"I don't... I don't feel so great..." Her voice was tiny and weak. It shook a little and didn't sound like her at all.

"You look a little pale," Misty said as she stood up. "I think we should get you back to the Academy and get Nurse Joy to take a look at you."

"That's a good idea," Leaf said. "Let's go May." She got up from her seat and made to help May up, but she waved her away. She didn't need to be babied. She could handle herself. May swayed a little on her feet but was otherwise able to stand. But there was still that nagging, uncomfortable feeling of being watched. The paranoia behind it grew up to the point where May could no longer bear it. The feeling overcame her and she turned around frantically to weed out the person who was so fixated on her.

But no one was paying her any attention. Everyone was eating, laughing, and minding their own business.

"Are you looking for someone?" She heard Misty ask. May shook her head.

"No..."

Then she saw him. He was simply walking by, not paying any special attention to the restaurants around him. He had jade green hair and his hands were shoved into his blue trouser's pants. He had an emotionless mask on his face and he could have just wandered in here by accident. He didn't even look at May, not even a glance, and she watched as he walked away and was swallowed up by the crowd. But there was something very familiar about him, though she could had sworn she had never seen him before. He was important enough for her to at least recognize him, but May was unable to clearly identify him. It was as if though he was from a distant memory.

May sighed and nodded to Leaf and Misty. The three of them threw away what was left of the food, gathered their belongings, and exited the mall. Leaf and Misty would occasionally look over their shoulder to make sure May was alright. In a way she was annoyed. She could handle herself. But she was also slightly touched that they cared for her like that.

The three boarded the moving sidewalk and started to make their way out of the city. Several minutes passed and Leaf and Misty were quietly talking to one another. The bright sunlight hurt May's eyes. She squinted her eyes as she looked down to her shoes. What was happening to her..?

_Turn around. Don't go there. Something's going to happen. Turn around._

May's head snapped up. She swiveled her head wildly, but the only other people on the walking sidewalk besides the three was a middle-aged business man. Although he was speaking into a black PokeNav softly, May could still hear him speak. His voice was much too deep for it to be the voice talking to May. She shook her head a little as if that would help to clear her head. It didn't work and she heard the clear loud voice again, as if the speaker was standing right beside her.

_What are you doing? I said turn around. It's not safe._

What the hell? May was starting to get frustrated now. She was convinced that someone was playing some horrible, mean prank on her. But at the same time, she could feel it too, that there would be danger... up ahead. It was like a bad itch she couldn't ignore. The only way of getting rid of it was by...

"Wait guys," May said. Leaf and Misty broke up their conversation. "What's up May?" Misty asked curiously.

"Um," May started. "L-let's go the other way."

Leaf gave her an odd look. "Why? We're almost out of the city anyways. It shouldn't be more than a couple of minutes." May blinked several times. What could she say? That a strange voice told her so? No way, they'd think she was crazy. But, if she was hearing voices, then doesn't that mean she is?

"I-I just... want to see the whole city... you know, before school starts. I might- I might not get the chance again for some weeks..."

Misty looked at Leaf. Her expression was indifferent. Leaf shrugged. "How's your head then?"

May nodded. "I-It's fine. Doesn't hurt anymore."

The three of them hopped off the moving sidewalk and took the opposite directed one. May's head throbbed slightly, but it wasn't nearly as painful or severe as her first headache. She tried to ignore it by looking around the city, but the headache grew more persistent. She couldn't look at a building or shop for more than a few seconds without pain washing over her. It continued to plague her until they finally reached the other end of the city. By then, it was close to mid-afternoon. Leaf and May flew back to the Academy on Altaria while Misty rode her bicycle (which she had hidden in the bushes of the forest.)

Altaria's soft and cloud-like feathers calmed May and, without realizing it, she fell into a deep sleep. Only then did her headache subside and finally leave her in peace.

* * *

Police tape stretched across an alleyway, forbidding anyone from entering the scene. Police Pokemon helped by shooing away any bystanders that came too close. A veteran police officer shook his head sadly at the scene.

There had been a horrible mugging. The victim had been brutally beaten and left for dead. There was a small pool of blood and the offending weapon -a bloodied crowbar- had been left behind. The crushed bits of what remained of his black PokeNav was lying in a pool of murky water. This was all the evidence present but they needed to continue searching for more clues.

The victim's name was Brian Jenkins, a legal attorney for a small pharmaceutical company headquartered in Saffron. Unfortunately, Sabrina had left the city to attend a gym leaders conference in Viridian. Crime rate always spiked during her absence, but the police could handle themselves. But then, a little help now and then never hurt.

From what they found was that Jenkins had been riding on a moving sidewalk, going home from work for the day, when his attacker forced him to enter the alleyway at gun point but then turned to beating him with a nearby weapon. One witness claimed that the only other people they saw in the area were several other business men, some teenagers riding on their skateboard on the streets, and a group of girls riding the other moving sidewalk, away from the crime scene.

* * *

_"There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line." ~ Oscar Levant _

* * *

**Ahh... poor May, she's finally lost it :D (Don't worry, I don't plan on making May any more crazy than you or me)  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**Sorry, been very busy lately and the chapter was really long. I'll try and upload more often.**

**By the way, I don't answer questions. If I did, then you wouldn't have any other reason to read this story, am I right? And what kind of writer doesn't want their work to be read?  
**

**EDIT (1/25/13): Thank you to Thalanthus for pointing out a mistake. May's eyes are indeed blue and not brown. Sorry my bad :D  
**

** Also added the page breaks, cuz I forgot before...  
**

* * *

**August 26th**

Somewhere, deep in the mountain range surrounding the famous Indigo League, a man in a black uniform strode down a long tunnel that cut through the heart of a mountain. Twisted wires attached to dim bulbs hung over him, lighting a faint path. The air was stale and thin, only a constant supply of air generated by a machine made it possible to breathe. It was relatively cool, but that didn't stop the sweat that perspired in the palm of his hand. He carried a small briefcase in both of his hands even though it was bulky and awkward. It wasn't heavy, but the man felt the need to carry the briefcase with both hands tightly. He was afraid that it might fall to the ground and damage the precious treasure inside.

The man finally reached the end of the hall where two other men wearing similar uniforms stood guard before a thick metal door. There was a large intricate lock fastened to the door, but the man didn't know whether it was real or just a decoration. The three men recognized each other, they had even worked together once, yet the two guards didn't move to admit him access. It was procedure and all three knew it.

"State your ID and purpose," one man said gruffly.

"Rocket Omega H-1494. Assigned with Rocket Alpha H-3679 and his team. Here to report findings from Operation Newmoon: Mission 2338B."

"Has the Leader approved of your visit?"

"He has." The man, Rocket Omega H-1494, produced a yellow folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to one of the guards. He snatched it from his hand and opened it. The silver seal of the Leader shimmered at the bottom of the page despite the half light. The man pulled out a small lighter from his pocket. He pressed down on the trigger and a small orange flame sprung up. The flames licked the paper and the thin trail of smoke produced was first colored white before morphing to red, then finally black. Once the paper was completely swallowed and burned away, the two men nodded and moved aside. The doors automatically opened and the bright light from the other room momentarily blinded the man. He squinted and made his way forward. He shivered in anxiety.

Before him was the Leader himself. He had never truly saw the Leader before. When he addressed them, there was only darkened silhouetted figure of him and a deepened distorted voice. But now, all his life's hard work had paid off, and he was finally granted a private audience with the founder and head of the most deadly and prominent crime organization in Kanto and Johto combined. He wanted his meeting to be perfect. He had memorized all of their team's findings the night before, including statistics and profiles should the Leader ask him.

The Leader (or Giovanni, but the Omegas were not allowed to refer to him by his real name) regarded the man with emotionless cold eyes. His skin was pale and it seemed as if time did not touched him. He had to have been sixty years old, but he still looked fit and young as a regular thirty year old man. He was dressed in a black suit and his left arm rested against his desk. The fingers on his right hand played with a golden pen absentmindedly.

He was sitting behind a simple wooden carved desk. There was a computer screen, keyboard, several packets of paper and a golden pencil holder on it but was otherwise very neat. A large Persian rested beside the desk. His eyes were closed and his tail would occasionally flickered, but the man didn't think that the Pokemon was actually asleep. The vast room had high with bright fluorescent lights built in. The four walls were completely covered with the same silver metal plates, giving the room a strange industrial look. Save for the desk, the room was completely empty. There was not a speck of dust or dirt that could be seen on the polished floors and walls. Behind the desk though was a large semi-circle glass window that overlooked the other mountains and even a small meadow below. Bullet and attack-proof, of course.

For several minutes, the Leader did not move. He didn't even blink as he continued to stare at the man before him. The man shivered and swallowed thickly.

"What have you for me? Report your findings."The man was caught off guard. The Leader had an unnatural high voice, but there was a certain coldness to it that made it all the more cruel. He had barely spoken above a whisper, but that didn't matter. His authority and power were prominent.

The man cleared his throat before he began. "Mission 2338B was a success, sir, at approximately 22:00 on the 15th of August. We had captured the target in the special ball made by Kurt in Azalea Town."

"Casualties?"

"None. Several men are still unconscious from handling the Pokeball for too long though."

"Expense?"

"Exactly two-fifteenths of what you supplied us."

The Great Leader nodded and beckoned with his hand for the man to bring him the briefcase. The man walked forward and gently placed the briefcase on the Great Leader's desk. He input the security pin and the lock clicked open. He lifted one end of the briefcase and displayed the contents to Giovanni. A single black and red Pokeball was held in place by a black foam mold. The Pokeball itself looked evil, built and intended only for dark purposes. Kurt had been quickly executed after he made it. Persian lifted his head, having felt an enormous power, but his interest quickly died away. He yawned and exposed his razor sharp teeth before resting his head back on the floor.

Giovanni 's eyes brightened in anticipation. He slowly reached forward and gripped the Pokaball gently. He smirked to himself as he felt dark energy radiate from the Pokeball. He inhaled deeply in content. Only one Pokemon in the world could produce this much negative and dark power. He gingerly plucked the Pokeball from the briefcase. The warmth from his hand was stolen away and his breaths came out thin and ice cold. His heartbeat began to accelerate at an abnormal pace, but Giovanni quickly calmed it. The thick fog interrupting his thought process lifted and his emotions became stable. What weakling his men are. They had no idea of what they were handling at the time. No wonder their pathetic and fragile minds were nearly bent on insanity just from this Pokemon's presence. They simply had no power, no control.

"Well done," Giovanni said as the man closed the briefcase and backed away nervously. "But what of your lieutenant? I normally do not allow subordinates such as yourself to directly address me." Giovanni clasped the Pokeball in both hands. He held it near his heart.

"He asked me to present you our findings."

"Hmm," Giovanni said. He paused for a moment, as though he was deep in thought. "Very well. Your services are appreciated. You are dismissed. "

The man suddenly felt the cold hard muzzle of a gun pressed against the back of his head. His eyes widened in surprise and fear. There was a small, almost inaudible, click and the man grunted as his face twisted. His eyes rolled to the back of his head and his body grew limp as he fell to his knees, as though he was in prayer. The dead body started to fall forward but it never made it to the ground. The killer had grabbed the collar of the uniform and began to drag the corpse away. Giovanni didn't like too much blood on his floors and he had paid severely for some of his previous kills. The body would later be cremated and the ashes would be scattered by the wind. He had thought about breaking the man's neck, but decided against it when Giovanni summoned him. It was more fun handling a gun.

"An easy death," Giovanni murmured as the doors slid shut after his henchman. "Renard will be wishing he had one after I'm through with him. Disgusting coward, he had to send a commonplace fool in his place. "

Giovanni's mouth stretched wryly as he pulled gripped the Pokeball in his hand even tighter. The thought of the power he held in his hand was overwhelming and he laughed bitterly. The world would soon be his to command and to rule. No one would stand in his way this time. His plan was foolproof and so diabolical that his rivals and enemies would be shocked to hear it. They would have labeled him as mad, but, honestly, who would care? They were all doomed to die the painful, horrible death he had in store for them.

Drunk with power, Giovanni laughed to himself as he rose from his chair and walked across his office floor to the lab. He saw several crimson drops of blood, along with some other unpleasant matter, in the corner of his eye on his otherwise spotless floors. He thought about punishing the assassin, but decided against it. He would let him off, but only this one time. He was in too good of a mood to have to be concerned about that idiot.

Persian purred as he rose to his feet and stretched his tired limbs. He pranced towards Giovanni and meowed softly. Giovanni grinned cruelly, his sadistic eyes never leaving the black and red Pokeball in his hand.

"Soon... very soon..."

* * *

"So after you go up to the third floor and keep walking straight, you should enter the West Wing of the school. Knight's class is the furthest door down and across a marble sculpture of Sir Aaron's Lucario. You got it?"

The precarious boy nodded and he scampered down the hall. He nearly tripped over his own feet in his anxiety. Jason frowned. Was he like that on his first day here? He tried to think back, but the memories were lost to him. It was too far away for him to recall.

It was the first day of school, which meant that it was the most chaotic day of school. Students, new and old, were always lost and uncoordinated on this day. Jason was always among those who volunteered to patrol the halls during the day to help them out. Eason wasn't as interested in this job but his counselor told him he had to do it as a part of his punishment. He had been caught rough-housing some of the other students on campus. But since there wasn't a full-scale fight or any major injuries, they had reduced Eason's punishment down to simple community service. Eason didn't reveal to the school officials that they had been ganging up on Jason and had even used their Pokemon on him. His twin didn't want their parents to find out about the bullies, else wise they would pull him and Eason out of school.

Eason leaned against the wall of the hallway and crossed his arms. He had a bored expression on his face and it looked as if he was suppressing the urge to yawn. Jason glanced at him guiltily.

"I'm sorry."

Eason shrugged indifferently and flashed a reassuring smile at Jason. "It's not your fault. Things happen."

The black digital watch on Jason's wrist blinked blue and beeped for a few seconds before Jason switched it off. "Let's get to class," he said.

Eason grabbed his book bag and slung it over his shoulder. He and Jason walked with each other until they had to part ways to go to their separate classes.

Jason exited the Academy and walked towards one of the large battle stadiums behind the school. He sighed in dismay. He hated Physical Education. He was never good at it even though he had done tons of research and readings to improve. He wasn't a natural battler like Eason or necessarily athletic. He supposed it was genetic then, and Eason just got the lucky end of that stick.

Jason entered the large Battle Stadium and saw Coach Duarte at the center of the battlefield, lecturing the students huddling around him. Even from where he was, a good fifty meters away, he could still hear Duarte's deep voice. Even when he was trying to be quiet, he was loud. Some of the other students had even nicknamed him Coach Exploud. Duarte was a short ugly man (there was just no way around it) and had unnaturally bulging eyes. He was constantly breathing heavily as though he had just finished running a marathon. It was hard to believe that he once was a commanding general in the Kanto National Guard. He had been gravely injured during his deployment and retired. He somehow got a teaching certificate and taught at the Academy ever since. He always displayed one of his many golden military medals over his jacket's front pocket, as though he had something to prove to a bunch of teenagers.

Several minutes later, the group dispersed and many pulled out their Pokeballs to summon their Pokemon. No doubt there was an exercise involving them. Jason approached Duarte and handed him the excused note from his counselor for being late. Duarte took the note from him and folded it in half before tucking it into his pocket.

"Nice to see you again boy," said Duarte. His voice was deep and throaty like a Politoad. No surprise there, it was common knowledge that Duarte smoked all the time. "Still remember that goddamn stubborn thing of a Pokemon you had with you."

"Yeah..." Jason had Duarte before, a couple of years ago. He preferred to block the memories though as they weren't all very pleasant.

"Work with that girl there..." Duarte pointed. "Dodging exercises. Got any Pokemon on you that'll actually listen?"

Jason was tempted to mention that Gible obeyed his commands better now, but decided against it. He didn't want to further initiate conversation with this man. Instead, he nodded and looked towards where Duarte was pointing. His heart stopped for a moment before beating twice as fast as its normal pace. His knees grew weak and quivered as they struggled to support Jason's weight.

it was her. The girl... the strikingly beautiful girl. The light breeze blew through her hair, causing several strands of stray hair to wave in front of her face. She smiled, a soft smile that only stretched her mouth off to the side a little. Jason could only stand transfixed by her simple beauty. Her smile radiated of innocence and a sense of a peace. She gently rocked on her heels as she glanced from side to side, looking for someone to work with.

The piercing shrill of Duarte's whistle blowing in his ear startled him. His heart pounded madly as Duarte barked orders and stalked away. Jason exhaled deeply as he made his way forward. The girl looked at him curiously as he approached her.

"Hi!" She said brightly.

"Hello..."

"You want to work together? Dodging exercises."

Jason simply nodded, as he was slightly breathless in her presence. She ignored his speechlessness and unclasped a Pokeball attached to the belt around her waist. He noticed that they were placed in delicate blue Ball Capsules. A tiny silver moon sticker stuck to the Pokeball caught his attention.

So she was a coordinator. Or at least studying to be one.

"Let's go Piplup!"

The tiny Water-Type Pokemon emerged from his Pokeball with an expectant look on his face. He seemed to be judging Jason with a look of disapproval and mistrust.

"Piplup, this is..." The girl paused for a moment. "Sorry, I didn't get your name."

"J-Jason."

"Piplup, this is Jason. We're going to be working with him."

Piplup folded his flippers and shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh, don't mind him," the girl said with a slight smile. "He likes making people think that he's tougher than he actually is."

Jason's mouth stretched into a timid smile as the annoyed Water Pokemon grunted and rolled his eyes. He reached for his belt for one of the two Pokeball clasped on. With a small click, the Pokeball enlarged. Jason threw it into the air and silently summoned his Pokemon.

There was a flash of bright light and the blue and red Pokemon appeared before the three. The Dragon-type Pokemon promptly leapt into the air and clamped his jaws around Jason's head. He nibbled affectionately as the boy winced and pried the razor sharp teeth from his head. The skin had broken though and red blood glared angrily from the wounds. But Jason had grown accustomed to the marks and scars littered all around his forehead and the pain did not deter him. If anything, it stung a little, but it was trivial and did not concern him.

Dawn giggled as Jason set Gible by his feet and Piplup jumped forward. He proudly puffed out his chest and held his head high as he greeted Gible with a series of short chirps.

Gible merely grunted but otherwise didn't respond.

"Enough, Piplup," the girl reprimanded. "We have work to do."

Piplup jumped backwards to the girl's feet and his bright blue eyes narrowed with sudden intensity. Gible merely grinned cheekily at Piplup. Jason was incredibly worried and nervous, as he didn't want to screw up his first practice with the girl. He found himself getting distracted by his opponent, the way her eyes brightened when she smiled and how her hair blew in the wind. Gible responded to his commands with certain hesitation and uncertainty. He wound up getting hit by Piplup's BubbleBeam several times before he started to follow his instincts and completely ignored his Trainer's commands. Jason gave up and let his Pokemon do whatever he wanted. Then afterwards, the practice went fairly smoothly. Piplup's BubbleBeam caught Gible off guard at times, but he did better than Jason had hoped. The girl's Piplup was fast, no surprise there, but occasionally fumbled and was shot by Gible's Dragon Pulse. If Jason had to compare their Pokemon's skills right now, they would be on par with one another.

Duarte's shrill whistle pierced the air, signaling the end of class. The girl recalled her Piplup, and Jason did likewise with Gible. He was silently scolding himself. Afterthoughts of Gible tripping and getting hit by attacks made him cringe and grimace. He must have looked like a fool in front of her. He stared at the grassy terrain and began to stalk away when he heard the girl call after him.

"Hey!" She said. "You did really well today. Your Gible is real fast."

Jason's face flushed and he kicked at the soft grass. He kept his eyes plastered to the ground. "Oh, well... we've...we've been working on his speed for a while." It felt as though an Arbok was squeezing his heart. It was almost painful and he found it a little hard to breathe.

The girl nodded. "Seems like it. I'll catch you later then." She then turned and ran towards the exit of the arena, leaving the flustered boy.

And as he hobbled after her, out of the arena and towards his next class, it hit him. It dawned on him that he forgot to do one important thing. Eason would make fun of him for sure.

_Her name... I didn't even get a name! Man, why am I such an idiot?_

* * *

May's mouth was pressed into a hard line as she unwillingly dragged her feet into her Advanced Calculus class. She never liked math. It was even her worst subject even though she earned perfect marks. But she had to work hard for those grades and the concepts usually never came easy to her.

Suddenly she felt a strange presence. It was as though something was uncomfortably pressing down on her mind, and she couldn't shake it off. It didn't necessarily hurt, but it was an unpleasant feeling. May eventually gave in and raised her head. Several students had just entered the classroom. They paid no attention to her as they found seats and sat in them. However, just as she was about to lower her head to stare back at her desk, she saw him.

His skin was a little pale, but not so much that he looked sickly. It was only really noticeable when he was among others. He had large blue eyes that stood out against his soft complexion and made him appear saddened even when his face was devoid of any emotion. His hair was a deep dark brown and would have otherwise been mistaken for black if the lights in the classroom weren't so bright.

His eyes darted around the room, though they held no interest until they made contact with May's. His blue eyes brightened for a moment but dulled again when he looked away. May raised an eyebrow in confusion. She inhaled sharply as he deliberately walked past her to reach a seat further behind. There was something off about him, something unnatural, something abnormal... But she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

He sat towards the back of the room, away from the teacher and their desk. A wave of disappointment washed over May . For some strange reason, she wanted him to sit closer to her. He intrigued her, and she wanted to study him, learn more about him, as though he were some mutant experiment. Truth be told, he reminded May of herself even though she hadn't the faintest clue as to why.

Calculus class couldn't end quickly enough and May was dying to escape from her class. It didn't help that her teacher was just about as interesting as dirt.

"... We'll be first reviewing some concepts from Pre-Calculus, alright?" he mumbled almost incoherently. "Then we'll be returning to derivatives and have some fun with that..."

May resisted the urge to yawn and her eyes drifted to the wall clock hanging above the doorway. A boy sitting in the desk beside her tapped his pencil against the desk irritably. He, and just about everyone else in the class, was impatiently waiting for the bell to ring.

When it finally did, no one could get out of the class fast enough. May sighed: she would have to deal with Professor Johnson and his boring lectures for the rest of the semester. But she pushed the thought out of her mind as she followed the crowd of students to the cafeteria.

She had seen the cafeteria before and she was exceptionally eager to go there. It would pretty much be the highlight of her day Leaf had told her all about it and where she and Misty would sit. Unlike most of the school, the Academy had renovated and completely redone the dining halls into a typical school cafeteria. But, of course, there were always a few twists. There was a small bar with a staff of chefs and assistants working behind it. It was located in the dead center of the cafeteria. They served sandwiches on Mondays and Wednesdays, and pizza on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Fridays were usually surprises and usually came from a different region. There was a separate salad and soup bar besides it. All around the hall were buffet lines to get various different types of food. One wall served tacos and burritos while the wall across from it made specially requested meals ranging from cooked steaks to hot noodles. The third wall contained a sushi bar, with freshly caught sea Pokemon delivered every day. In the dessert corner, there were three silver ice cream display freezers with eight different flavors as well as carefully prepared miniature cakes, mousses, cupcakes, cookies, slices of pie. There was even a large ice box filled MooMoo milk, orange juice, lemonade, soda, and root beers chilled with ice cubes. Besides it were several large smoothie and slushie machines. Tables and chairs filled the remaining space of the hall while Machop and Machoke pushed around garbage cans and swept trash.

All in all, it was the most amazing thing May had ever seen. It was made even better by the fact that lunch lasted an hour and twenty minutes long.

The school itself wasn't overcrowded, but it wasn't under populated either. After May picked up a Tauros meat burrito (one of her favorites) and corn soup, she estimated that there were about two thousand kids in the cafeteria. But there were the upperclassmen to think about it, and they were allowed to leave the Academy to either travel to the restaurants against the fortress's wall, or Saffron city itself. She quickly found Leaf and Misty sitting together, and they beckoned for her to join to them.

"... Oh, May!"

May turned her head at the mention of her name and saw Dawn walking up to her. She had a salad and cold noodles on her lunch tray. She smiled brightly at her.

"Dawn, hi!"

"I was wondering if I could sit with you," Dawn said nervously. "I mean, it's the first day, and I don't really know anyone around here... not to mention my roommate is nowhere to be found..."

"Oh, that's fine." May beckoned for Dawn to follow her and the two approached the table Leaf and Misty were at.

"This is Dawn," May told Leaf and Misty. "I told her she can sit with us."

The two smiled and waved while May and Dawn sat across from them. Leaf was chewing on a Farfetch'd sandwich while Misty was simply drinking a can of root beer.

"Say, you look kinda familiar," Misty said thoughtfully as she eyed Dawn curiously. "I think I saw you on T.V... were you on the news?"

"Yeah," Leaf agreed. "Wasn't your picture on the paper... or something like that?"

"You probably saw my mother," said Dawn. She was mindlessly stirring her yellow soup with a small metal spoon. "She... she won the last Sinnoh Grand Festival."

"Woah, really?" Leaf asked, clearly impressed. "That takes a lot of skill."

Misty nodded in agreement and smiled at Dawn. "You probably inherited some of them then."

Dawn snorted and folded her arms. She leaned against the table. "I wish. My battling is atrocious and my appeals are the opposite of stunning. I'm nothing like my mother."

"I'm sure that's not true," Leaf said with a wink. "I bet Misty could show you a few tricks on battling. Her sisters are gym leaders of the Cerulean gym."

"Would you?" Dawn asked. Her eyes brightened in anticipation and excitement.

"Sure," said Misty as she tossed the empty can into a trash can being pushed around by a Machop. The Pokmon nodded his head to her before moving on. "When I have the time at least. My classes are giving me a headache already..."

May, who had been silent throughout the conversation, wasn't even listening. Her attention had been diverted and her eyes had fixated on two boys who walked in late to the cafeteria. One was the boy with the jade green hair from the Saffron Mall, and the other was the boy in her calculus class. They were both talking to each other, but the stiffness of their bodies and the way their eyes averted from each other made it clear that they weren't friends. They weren't even acquaintances and their presences caused the other discomfort. Then, both pairs of eyes- emerald green and bright blue- simultaneously darted to May before looking away. Her heart stuttered in surprise and she quickly dropped her head to stare at her burrito. It suddenly didn't look as appetizing. When she dared to raise her head again, May saw the boy with green hair walk back out of the cafeteria and the other sit down with his friends, positioning himself so that his back was against her.

What on earth was going on? When May's blue eyes made contact with those green eyes, she realized that not only had she seen him before, but she knew him very well. That much she could remember, but who he was and why she knew him was still elusive to her. Thinking about those bright pair of eyes gave May a small headache and she lifted her burrito to her mouth and took a small bite out of it. The meat was flavorless and dry.

* * *

_"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves" ~ Confucius_


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys... how you been? School sucks, that's all I have to say**

* * *

May winced as the impact shook the whole stadium. The other students around her cringed and one girl involuntarily whimpered. She looked behind her, towards the veteran students. The moment she walked inside of the purple stadium, she had been singled out as a new student and forced to sit on the bench normally reserved for family and friends of battlers, among the other new students. The rest had been allowed sit on the spectator bleachers. And now, most weren't even paying attention and had indifferent, and even bored, masks on their faces. She noticed a boy sitting in the farthest row from the battlefield with half-closed eyes. He was battling against sleep even as the stadium shook again.

A roar snapped May's attention back to the battle. A Dragonite slammed her fist into Golduck's beak, sending the Water Pokemon into the air. He crashed to the ground and skid backwards against the dirt until his head smashed against the wall. The Golduck struggled to his feet and, with trembling limbs, he forced himself to stand.

But the Dragonite didn't even give him time for that. Flying forward, without any command from her Trainer, she grabbed the Golduck by the throat and threw it back to the center of the battlefield, as though he were no more than a sack of flour.

"Quit playing around Daniels!" Coach Reddens barked. A vein bulged from his thick neck. "You got thirty seconds."

"Yes sir," the girl named Daniels sighed. "Dragonite, you heard Coach." She really was pretty. With long dark hair and wide brown eyes, May never would have suspected that she was such a fearsome battler. If she hadn't seen the battle with her own two eyes, she never would have believed it.

The Dragonite straightened and faced her trainer. She nodded. With her wings flapping slowly, Dragonite slowly approached the crumpled form of Golduck. He was breathing very slowly and it looked as if every breath caused him great pain. His wide eyes were filled with humiliation and pain as the Pokemon stared imploringly at his Trainer. But he didn't move or open his mouth. He stood stiffly. He was too shocked to give an order. Dragonite's fist started to shimmer and an aura of bright blue encased it. Her blue eyes were devoid of any emotion as she suddenly rushed forward towards her victim. Her mouth was twisted into a ferocious snarl and she pulled back her fist to deliver the final blow. May shut her eyes and turned away.

"And time! C'mon you pathetic wimp, get up."

May's eyes flew open. Golduck's trainer had fallen to the floor. Coach Reddens grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and hoisted him to his feet.

"Your arrogant and overconfident attitude cost you the match," Coach said, poking him harshly in the chest. The boy nearly fell again and a grimace appeared on his face. "And because of that your Pokemon got beaten up badly. Now go see Nurse Joy and pray that this match hasn't scarred your Pokemon too horribly."

The boy nodded frantically, still at a loss for words, and recalled his Pokemon. He fled the battlefield with Reddens glaring after him.

"Good work Daniels," he said. "I'll pair you up with someone more decent next time."

Daniels and her Dragonite bowed. She returned her Pokemon back to her Pokeball before rejoining her friends in the bleachers.

"Hey, nice job Cathy! You really showed that sexist bastard..."  
"I know, he was such a jerk."  
"Let's hope that's the last we'll see of him."

"Alright, who's next?" Coach Reddens asked as he scanned the crowd of returning students. "Hayden, get down here!"

The group of students, who were originally uninterested in the battles, suddenly grew quiet. Several heads turned to watch the boy climb down the metal bleachers. The newly arrived students watched with some curiosity. May's heart stuttered as she recognized this boy.

_No way..._

Her head started to pound and May rubbed it absentmindedly. She was having a lot of headaches lately...

"I feel sorry for the newbie that has to go up against him."  
"What, Hayden? He's not all that tough. He lost in last year's championship tournaments early on."  
"That's because he was with Ketchum. Remember, it was such an intense battle... Point is, he's gonna wipe the floor with the poor sap pitted against him."

"Alright there boy?" Reddens asked as he clapped Hayden on the shoulder. "What's your old man been up to nowadays?"

"Same as always," he said with a small smirk. "You know how he is."

Coach grunted. "I swear to Mew he hasn't changed since the day he graduated from this school... anyways, anyone wanna volunteer? No, not you Turner, I want some fresh meat."

The kids surrounding May took a sudden interest in their shoes or the dirt in general. They all looked very nervous, but May would be lying if she said that she wasn't. This entire Academy... it was filled with the best of the best. She had just seen a battle where there hadn't been any contest at all. Golduck had been completely clobbered and beaten senseless. There was no mercy shown here. How was she going to survive in this school?

May looked up and felt a chill run down her spine. The boy, Hayden, was staring at her. Or maybe he was looking at someone? She looked around her nervously, but no one else had dared to raise their head. She looked back at the boy. She was surprised to see him smirking at her. He raised an eyebrow at her and the smirk grew. Anger bubbled inside of May as she realized what he was doing. He was mocking her. He was goading her to volunteer. He wanted her to battle him. But...why?

"Fine, if no one wants to volunteer then you pick Hayden. Choose your victim."

"I volunteer." Rayquaza, what was wrong with her? If it were possible to take back words, May would have done so in a heartbeat. Already she could hear the taunts and giggles.

"This is new."  
"Did that girl actually just volunteer... to go up against Hayden?"  
"Ho-oh, she's toast"  
"She has no idea what she got herself into"

A faint tint of pink streaked across May's cheeks. They didn't even know her and already they decided she had lost? Well, she would show them. Her battling wasn't terrible. Her father was a gym leader! That had to count for something.

"Well c'mon then, get up here," Reddens said as he impatiently stole a glance at the large electronic clock on the scoreboard. "We haven't got all day."

May sighed and reluctantly rose to her feet. She approached Reddens while staring at her opponent. But there wasn't anything new she could point out with him. He had dropped his playful demeanor. He had such intense eyes... She had seen him before, she even knew him but why? How could she? Before today, he was nobody important in her life. May grit her teeth in frustration. Rayquaza help her. She never knew someone so frustrating could exist, especially someone she knew nothing about.

"Name, sweetheart," Coach Reddens grunted as he picked up his clipboard of the class roster.

"May Maple." She never intended for her voice to crack. A torrent of giggles and sighs escaped from the bleachers. Across from her, Hayden's serious eyes relaxed as he chuckled in amusement.

"Maple... good. As in gym leader Norman Maple, am I right?" May nodded slowly. Had he forgotten they had this discussion before in orientation? Coach Reddens shrugged. "So you're his spawn. Alright, maybe this'll be a decent match after all. Ready Hayden?"

"Yes sir. Heads."

Coach Reddens dug a large gold coin out of his pocket. It was about the size of a sand dollar. One side was etched with an engraving of an Aerodactyl while the other had a simple Pokeball. He flipped it in the air and let it hit the ground. The side with the Pokeball came out on top.

"Tails: Maple gets first move. Shake hands and yada yada yada, blah blah blah. Just no cheating or dirty plays. Those are my only rules; break them and I'll break you. Got it?"

It was the afternoon and the sun was at its peak. It was dead hot outside. After all, it was still summer. So when May reached forward to shake Hayden's hand, it surprised her at how cold his hands were.

* * *

What the hell was going on? There was always something off with this boy, May knew. But now she was certain that there was something unusually creepy about him.

His Flygon had the advantages. He was Ground and Flying Type, not to mention he could fly. But then again Blaziken never had problems with Flying-type Pokemon because of his strong legs... But that's beside the point.

The battle itself would only last three minutes. May had only been battling with Hayden for two minutes and already she saw that his battling style was almost exactly as hers. Blaziken and his Flygon were exactly on par with one another. The moves he chose, why he chose them, even how Flygon executed them... they matched what she would have chosen or done with near perfection. Was he still trying to make fun of her? Why? That wouldn't make any sense. What would he have to gain from that?

"Use Steel Wing!" And already, May could see how Flygon would circle back into the air to power up the move, the angle he would nosedive towards Blaziken, and where the Pokemon would be aiming to hit.

She watched as her prediction came true, even down to the forty-seven degree angle when Flygon began to launch his attack.

It was as though this boy were her shadow. She knew all about him, and yet... nothing at all.

"Dodge it, then use Fire Spin!" Now May was more interested in testing her theory than actually winning the fight. If they really did have the same battling style and technique, then neither one would gain the upper hand anyways. She watched as Flygon swooped and streaked past Blaziken as the Fire and Fighting-type Pokemon leaped out of the way. She watched as the fiery column of flames encased Flygon, but he merely brushed the fire aside with several large flaps of his wings.

"Sky Uppercut!" _If I were in the same situation, I'd have Flygon use that Flamethrower to knock Blaziken off his momentum. Let's see what Hayden will have him do._

"Use Steel Wing once more!"

May's eyes widened in surprise as Flygon's wings was encased with the familiar silver sheen once more. He dived towards Blaziken, whose fist began to turn blue.

"Spin, now."

_Spin..? _Flygon slowly began to turn, gaining power and momentum. He soon disappeared as he turned into a silver tornado that continued to gain size and strength.

_They're too close to each other, _May realized. _Blaziken won't be able to get out in time._

The Sky Uppercut barely scratched the tornado attack as Blaziken was immediately thrown to the side. He flipped and harshly landed among the bleachers close to where the veteran students were gathered with a thunderous clatter. The boy who was half-asleep snorted but his eyes were still closed. Blaziken rose slowly from the heap of bent and dented metal bleachers before jumping back to the battlefield.

"Great," Reddens muttered. "Those were new installs too. You guys got fifteen seconds!"

"Sky Uppercut!"

Using the Fighting-type move was the only chance she had to a quick knockout. Blaziken had already suffered serious damage from the steel tornado and other attacks.

Flygon's tail twitched impatiently. Drew smiled wryly but otherwise didn't budge to give his Pokemon any orders.

Blaziken launched himself towards Flygon. He pulled back his glowing blue fist as he streaked towards his motionless opponent.

_What's he up to now? _May wondered.

"Ten seconds."

Blaziken swung his fist. With an outstretched claw, Flygon blocked the attack, only skidding backwards by several inches from the impact. Blaziken uttered a cry of surprise and used his free fist to aim a punch at Flygon's head. The Mystic Pokemon, anticipating this, blocked the attack with his other claw. The two Pokemon growled in frustration as they engaged in a struggle of power.

"Six seconds."

_So what, a draw? _

"DragonBreath."

Flygon grinned mischievously before opening his maw and spewing out the massive column of light blue air. Blaziken grunted and cringed as he was forced to his knees. Yellow sparks danced around him. Flygon suddenly released the weakened Pokemon and sharply swung around. His tail slammed against Blaziken, sending him flying across the battlefield.

"And time!" Blaziken, with some difficulty, pushed himself upright into a standing position. The flames from his wrists burned weakly. May ran up to him and patted him on his arm.

"That was a great battle, you tried so hard." May fished out his Pokeball and returned Blaziken. "Take a long rest."

"Maple!" Coach roared. "If that were a real battle, you would have been stomped flat, even with Hayden going easy on you."

"Easy?" May muttered to herself. Coach Reddens didn't seem to hear.

"Regardless, you didn't do as terribly as I'd expected," he grunted as he scribbled something on his clipboard. "I can see some of Norman's battling style in you. You'll manage."

Coach Reddens blew his whistle, which May hadn't even noticed hanging around his neck until now. Her ears rang as Coach Reddens angrily shouted at the class. The vein popped out of his neck again. "Quiet down! We still got time for more matches. Turner, since you're always such an eager Bidoof for a fight, why don't you get your ass down here?"

* * *

When Leaf started her first day back at the Academy, she prayed to Mew that she wouldn't have a class with any of them. She begged for a peaceful school year where she wouldn't ever have to come across either of those two ever.

But when she walked into her Pokemon History class, Leaf wanted nothing more than to strangle someone. Either Mew wasn't listening that night, or he was a bigger prankster than the legends and myths made him out to be.

One of them, sure she could handle. They'd be a real pain the ass though. But both of them... Mew, what did she ever do to receive such a terrible punishment? Alright, maybe she was exaggerating, but the rest of the school year really was going to suck dealing with these two.

Leaf kept her eyes glued to a desk in the front of the class, away from the two people she did not want to deal with at the moment. But nevertheless, a loud and surprised voice echoed in the half empty classroom.

"Leafy! Is that you?"

_And the torment begins_, Leaf thought as she reluctantly faced the obnoxious, rude, selfish, arrogant snob he would have to put up with for a whole school year.

"Go away Gary."

Gary grinned cheekily and his arm fell off the shoulders of his girlfriend. Her nostrils flared in anger as Gary hopped off the desk the two were sitting on together. He darted up to where Leaf was sitting and took the seat in front of her. He spun around to face her.

"It's been a long time. How've you been?" He flashed her a reassuring half-smile and Leaf felt her heart flutter. She hated that feeling.

"It was great actually," Leaf said crossing her arms. "I didn't see your face for two whole years. Then I walked into here this afternoon and was disappointed to see a fat disgusting Snorlax and an insolent little Grumpig."

A low chuckle escaped from Gary. "You haven't changed a bit," he muttered, his eyes darting to his girlfriend. "I've always liked that about you."

Leaf took a moment to compose an irritated expression. "What are you saying?" She hissed. "You have a girlfriend! You can't just go around saying that to other girls."

"Why not?" He asked as he reached forward and gently plucked Leaf's pencil from behind her ear. He began to study it. "It's true."

"Because she, and the girls you're flirting with, will get the wrong ideas!" Leaf hissed.

"Your face is red," Gary said as he straightened in his seat. He twirled the pencil between his fingers. He grinned cheekily. "I can tell that you're getting the wrong ideas right now.."

"Shut up you arrogant bastard," Leaf muttered as she looked away. Mew, she hated him.

Gary laughed and set Leaf's pencil on her desk. He rose from his seat and walked past Leaf without another glance. Leaf hadn't noticed that the class had been filled with all her peers. Before she knew it, Leaf had twisted around in her seat. She watched as Gary take the desk and chair beside his girlfriend. He whipped out a sheet of paper from his book bag, along with a black pen, and scribbled something down on it.

He folded it once, twice, and one last time before sliding the sheet of paper onto her desk. Amy Ryder unfolded the message and an eager grin grew on her face. Then her gray eyes shot up to meet Leaf. Joy and triumph glittered in them. Ryder then turned her attention towards Gary and whispered something with those perfect lips. Not wanting to catch Gary's reaction, Leaf turned back to the front of the class. She swallowed thickly as her stomach felt slightly queasy. She looked up to the teacher. There was sound coming out of Professor Colby's mouth but, to Leaf, it sounded like gibberish.

As nice as Professor Colby was and how easy this class would be, Leaf was going to dread coming to class every day.

* * *

It was the last class of the day and Misty was already exhausted. She had a Biology packet to complete, an English report to do, a stupid History paper due... it was going to be a long night.

So when Misty plopped into the first seat in the first row of her Pokemon Habitats class, dumped her stuff on the desk, and stared at the board in front, she didn't notice a certain individual approach her.

"Misty? You're here too?"

Misty flinched. She recognized that familiar friendly warm voice. She whirled around in her seat and nearly knocked her books off her desk.

Her eyes widened in surprise before a large grin spread across her face. The smile was returned by the boy standing behind her. "Ash! You're here! Wait... why are you here? Don't tell me you got a scholarship too!"

Ash laughed and he settled in the seat besides her. "Only a small one. Some talent scout saw me battle at the Kanto Pokemon League a couple of months ago. Mom told me she was going to send me here anyways."

"That's great!" Misty exclaimed. "I can't believe you're taking Advanced Pokemon Habitats though. I heard it's pretty tough. You know Leaf is here too?"

"Yeah, I think her parents told my mom," Ash said. "I haven't seen her at all though. We should totally meet up and hangout one day."

"It'd be like old times..." Misty said wistfully. "Is your mom still traveling around?"

"Yeah," Ash said as he leaned back against the seat. He straightened the Pokemon cap on his head. "I miss her cooking."

Misty laughed. "I would too. Your mom is an worldwide famous cook. That's how we all met. At that stupid party. I remember you wearing that hilarious pink and yellow bowtie."

"Hey," Ash protested as he straightened in his seat. "I was only nine."

"And you still needed your mom to dress you..."

"It was... it was only for that occasion..." Ash explained as he scratched his head in embarrassment.

Misty giggled as Ash went to the back of the class to drag all of his books and backpack to his new seat.

"How's Pikachu doing?" Misty asked when he came back.

"I let him roam around campus. Now that Team Rocket is being monitored as a terrorist group by the government, they can't get to him anymore. And... he missed you, a lot," Ash said. He flashed a slightly embarrassed smile at Misty. "I did too."

Misty blinked and a smile slowly spread across her face. "Yeah, I missed you too."

"Woah, Misty!" Ash exclaimed. His brown eyes widened in shock. He shot up and grabbed one of her textbooks. He nearly staggered from the weight. "What kind of classes are you taking?"

"Harder than yours I imagine," Misty said as she wrestled the book back from him. "I have to take certain classes to keep the scholarship they gave me."

Ash opened his mouth to say something, but the teacher, Professor Foster, clapped her hands and barked at everyone to shush. Class was about to begin.

* * *

"Hey."

May turned around to see the boy with the green hair, Hayden, standing on one of the bleachers with his book bag in one hand.

"Hi..?"

Class was over, and most of the students, including Coach Reddens, had already left the battle stadium. May's next class was fairly close by and she wasn't in any particular rush. A small part of her wondered whether she would enjoy taking English here.

Hayden smiled in amusement. He climbed down the bleachers and stairs and approached her. May raised an eyebrow in confusion. The two stood there in long awkward silence.

"Do you need something?" May asked in confusion. "I have a class to get to..."

"Well okay. Let's walk and talk," Drew said as he slung his book bag on his shoulder. He stuffed his fists into his pockets.

They walked in silence as the other expected them to say something.

_What does this guy want? _May wondered anxiously. _He's so weird..._

"Is... is there something you wanted to talk about then?" May asked.

Hayden suddenly stopped just as they were about to enter the Academy. May looked back at him. His emerald eyes suddenly dulled and his mouth was pressed into a hard line.

"You don't remember." It was neither a statement nor question. It was an accusation.

"What are you talking about? I remember." May was starting to grow angry. "I saw you at the Saffron Mall, so what?"

"That's not what I was referring to," Hayden said angrily and he started to walk past her. But May stepped in front of him and pushed him back. His eyes relaxed for a second in surprise as he took a step back before hardening again. A headache began to cause May to grit her teeth in frustration. It felt as though needles were pushing and stabbing into her head. The sharp spikes of pain made it difficult to think. May balled her hands into fists. She _really_ did not need this now

"What's your problem?" She asked, throwing her hands into the air. "I don't know you, alright? Maybe you're confusing me with somebody else or maybe your head is just screwed up but stop accusing me of things that you think I did!"

Hayden started to breathe heavily through his nose. May could tell that he was trying to control his temper. Hayden closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Okay fine," he finally said as his eyes snapped open. "If you don't remember, then you don't remember. It's cool."

Hayden grabbed the strap of his book bag as he walked past May. The angered expression on his face was still there. This time May didn't try to stop him. She was a little surprised by what he said.

_Not very persistent is he?_

Hayden pulled open the door to reenter the building. He paused for a minute as May drew closer to him.

_What's wrong now?_

"When you get tired of all those headaches," Hayden said slowly. "Come see me. I know how to get rid of them."

May watched him as he disappeared within the Academy before slowly following after him. Even now the headache she just felt was subsiding into a dull throb.

_Weird... too weird. _And she was not just talking about Hayden anymore.

* * *

_Talking to an old friend makes you realize how much your life has changed ~Unknown_


End file.
